


All the strings attached

by Akiko_kitsune



Category: Gintama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Can't you already see how deep into insanity I have fallen, Complicated Relationships, Dark Past, Everyone Has Issues, Everyone Is Gay, Everyone Is Switching, Foursome - M/M/M/M, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Incest, M/M, POV Multiple, Past Child Abuse, Past Sexual Abuse, Polyamory, Porn with Feelings, Power Play, Shibari, Shouyou and Utsuro are brothers, Spitroasting, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-06-29 18:53:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 25,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19836433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_kitsune/pseuds/Akiko_kitsune
Summary: Shouyou and Utsuro's relationships with other people were always complicated but they learnt to live with it. Until someone didn't start coming to Shouyou's flower shop and wanting mess things up even more. But maybe that addition person in the equation might help to untangle issues they were always afraid to address.





	1. Shouyou POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My roommate wanted to give Utsuro a coffee shop, I lowkey wanted to do ShouTaka flower shop tattoo station AU + somewhere along the way ShouUtsuTakaObo became my ot4, and that's how disasters like this are getting created. I don't believe I actually wrote it and I probably wouldn't if not all the wonderful support of everyone on Twitter, I couldn't imagine a better audience for all my weird ideas.
> 
> The title is from a song "If I can't have you" by Shawn Mendes (if we're writing mainstream AUs, we can listen to some more mainstream music)

“What are you doing?” Utsuro asked leaning over the counter on a lazy afternoon after the rush lunch hours.

“I need to know who is coming to...” Shouyou started.

“You’ve told us about it dozen times,” Utsuro sighed.

“But this time I’m going to catch this person.”

“Why is that so?” Utsuro asked, mostly because of an idle atmosphere around. If he could focus on anything else, he probably would.

Shouyou didn't mind it. Maybe he got used to his brother's behaviour. “That person always comes there around this hour and from the store I could never get a good look at them.”

“And that's why you dumped your work and came here?”

“Yes,” Shouyou answered with a smile and return to his observation.

Around this hour there weren't many people on the streets. Everyone came back to work after lunch breaks. A group of elementary school kids that were coming back home. One woman slowly walking down the street with the stroller. A young man that came out to smoke a cigarette. Idle afternoon.

Nothing was happening.

That young man walked around a bit. He stopped by Shouyou's shop. He looked there for a moment. Many people were stopping by to watch the flower arrangements in the shop window. Shouyou tried to change them as much as he could.

The young man kept standing there until his cigarette burned down. He should go back to his workplace soon, but he didn't seem to move anywhere soon.

“I’ve got him,” Shouyou immediately went out. He only heard his Utsuro’s sigh.

Shouyou rushed out his brother's coffee shop, but when he was reaching the other side of the street his pace slowed down and he calmed hiding under all the excitement he felt from finally catching that person.

“Hi! You’re coming here a lot lately, aren’t you?”

The man trembled like he was caught red-handed on something bad. He nearly dropped down the phone he took out when Shouyou was walking to him. The screen was displaying some graphic like he was just checking the photo he took. It was the flower arrangement Shouyou'd done for that day.

“Yeah, I...” he started to explain himself. Halfway sentence he calmed. Maybe he felt like there was nothing left to hid. “I need to...” he sighed. “I need to get better at... drawing flowers and stuff. For work.”

“Oh. Then if I can help somehow, I’ll gladly do it.”

"There is no need..." he tried to escape, but Shouyou grabbed his arm and pulled him back close.

“It’s my pleasure.”

Inside the shop, Shouyou let go of him, but the man knew well he had no choice but to stay there for a bit. He looked around. Nothing seemed to pick his interest, so his eyes returned soon to Shouyou.

Right, they didn't even know each other's name yet.

"Yoshida Shouyou," he smiled wholeheartedly.

“Takasugi Shinsuke. I work nearby.” His gaze didn't stay long on Shouyou. Maybe he decided it was too awkward to stare at him, so he had to pay a bit of his attention to the flowers around.

Shouyou tried to recall all businesses opened around. There weren't many of them, but he wanted to pinpoint about which he was talking. He saw he needed to get better at drawing for work, huh, could it be?

“At the tattoo station?” There was one newly opened. The entrance to it wasn't catching much attention and even if it was right next to Shouyou's shop he passed it by a few days before noticing it.

"Yeah, there."

"Then we're practically neighbours. We should keep a good relation."

"I guess," he murmured only.

Since he wasn't much in the mood to talk, Shouyou took one more look of him. He seemed like the bad boy everyone was warning you about. Cigarettes, dyed hair, though the dark violet shade at first glance seemed black, a tattoo that was slipping from underneath his sleeve to bloom on top of his hand and which he probably had more since he worked at tattoo station. But, maybe because of his rather fragile frame, he didn't seem intimidating.

Shouyou spoke again: "I know the worst and the most awkward are always first times, but you can come over more. Look around and maybe you’ll find what you need. Or I can help you.”

Takasugi looked at him. For that little moment, Shouyou had an eerie feeling that the man was more focused on him than on anything else in the shop. But that wasn’t probably true or maybe he only tried to pay attention to his speaker, although he didn’t seem to be a well-behaved man.

* * *

Takasugi didn't come the next day.

He came the day after it. Only to look around as if he was one of the customers. Shouyou hadn't much spoken to him not to scare him off. It had to help, cause he showed up another day too. And every day since then.

With time he even started bringing his sketchbook to draw at the shop rather than later on somewhere from a picture. Shouyou was lending him a chair and indulged a little chat.

Unfolding piece by piece this man was the most interesting activity Shouyou could experience. Even if Takasugi usually seemed gloomy and harsh, it didn't take that much digging to see his more sensible side. Maybe even more interesting was how intelligent and strong-willed he was. Shouyou kept trying each time to get his work up into some subject during their chats to get to see it more.

Shouyou was falling in love with spending time with him. And when he started to notice this fact, it started to bother him. Not only that indulging himself to this point couldn't bring anything good, but... Where to lead it further? If he could decide that he would want it to stay just like that. Some small chats now and then. But life, especially his, tended to get complicated.

And his relation with Takasugi soon started to complicate too.

* * *

“Do you mind showing me your drawing?” Shouyou asked out of curiosity and a bit out of boredom.

Takasugi raised his eyebrow. “You stopped believing that I’m coming here to draw?”

“No, no,” Shouyou smiled, “I only wondered how it turns out.” He noticed how somehow his words made the situation less amusing for that man. Was he...? No, probably Shouyou misread his expression.

“I don’t mind.”

Takasugi stood up and passed Shouyou his sketchbook. He opened it on the page with today’s flowers. It wasn’t the last page he was drawing on, but that Shouyou left for later. He focused on what he was shown. He believed Takasugi was good, but it extended his expectation. Shouyou traced the drawing with his fingertips, gently not to smear the pencil lines.

“You’re extremely talented.”

“Enough to get paid for that,” Takasugi brushed it off. Oh, not fond of getting complimented, ha? That could be changed.  
Takasugi thought he would handle him the sketchbook back, he even reached his hand for it, but Shouyou got so absorbed in it, he flipped to the next page.

It took his breath away.

“You wanted to get better not only at drawing flowers,” he tried to regain composure and said it with a smile.

Next sketch... He turned the page. And the next one... Next few sketches were studies of him during the work or their chats. They were messier and uncompleted, but the attention to all the details made Shouyou’s heart skip a beat or two.

“Few times I didn’t want to go out so soon, so I stayed and... tried practising other things too.”

Smooth, but Shouyou knew how to tell when someone was straying a bit from the truth.

He moved pages to a bit older entries. He saw in the corner of the eye how Takasugi bit his lip to keep his head high. All that messy quick sketches were later on finished.

Shouyou gave Takasugi his sketchbook back. He couldn’t stop someone from experiencing whatever they were experiencing but such strong feelings often came with a want to be returned. And that was what Shouyou couldn't promise to give.

Should he say something? That he feels honour, but it can't go on like this? He didn't want it to end. Maybe it was selfish from his side, but he wanted their routine to keep going.

Takasugi never asked for anything. Shouyou was the only one pushing in further. Takasugi seemed not to mind keeping distance and watching him from aside. It nearly seemed like Shouyou was offering more than it was ever asked for. That was unusual.

“Will you come here, tomorrow?” Shouyou asked.

“Yeah.” Just like that. Like nothing had happened.

_Hm, hard to get rid of? That might be a good quality._

* * *

The rain season came with an awful downpour. Shouyou wasn’t be much worried by it because of spending most of his days inside working, but overall humidity made his banks curl even more, so he spent most of his time fidgetting them. There were no clients anyway. No one wanted to go out in wheater like that. Shouyou waited only for the afternoon when during his lunch break Takasugi might come it.

Maybe he wouldn't come. Because of the rain. Or because... Just cause.

Annoyed by growing boredom, Shouyou started to rearrange his shop. It didn't take long before he noticed something in the window. At first, he didn't pay much attention to it. Rain can often trick people's eyes and it wasn't usual to see some movement on the streets even in the wheater like that. But when his eyes caught on it again he tried to distingue what it might it.

Could it be...?

Shouyou went out.

Takasugi.

He stood their Clothes soaked in. When their eyes met he lowered his head. Now he was caught on something really shameful.

“What… What are you doing?”

“I always wander around before getting in...”

Why? Why was he always hesitating before coming in? After a few days, it should become almost a part of the routine.

It wasn't a time to think that through.

Shouyou took his hand and pulled him inside. “You only catch a cold if you continue like this.” He pulled the closed signed and pulled Takasugi to the staff room. “Sit.” Shouyou reached through his drawers. He found a towel and handed it to him. “I should have some spare T-shirt too,” he murmured and continue his research.

”You don't have to...”

”I do. Either way, there would be no customers today. Let me at least take care of you.”

Takasugi lowered his eyes and start to cooperate.

Shouyou finally found some white T-shirt and handed it to Takasugi as well. “You can change into this.”

This time he knew better than to refuse. He pulled his shirt off. Shouyou’s eyes stayed on him by accident. Right to see the nicely worked out soft lines of muscles and running by his side and probably extending to his back floral tattoo.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to stare,” Shouyou said finally forcing himself to put his eyes off him.

“Why not?” Takasugi shifted a bit to the side to show off the tattoo even more. “Someone put an effort into it.”

Shouyou let his eyes linger once again on the Takasugi's body. They traced over thick black the lines of the tattoo of a tiger surrounded by colourful Marple leaves and peony flowers which Shouyou noticing looking at him at first. His gaze didn't follow the exact lines, maybe at first, but then it got too distracted, almost lost. Shouyou's hands itched to touch him. He held himself back. He didn’t want to offer anything, he couldn’t promise to keep giving.

“It looks nice,” Shouyou tried to keep it the most casual.

“Thanks.” Takasugi pulled T-shirt hiding his bare skin. It was way too big. It always made Shouyou's eyes linger on him. How small and fragile he looked like in it.

”I'll make us some tea,” Shouyou proposed to force himself into literally anything else than the man before him.

”Okay.”

When Shouyou turned back to him with the tea, Takasugi was sitting on his couch. Only in his white T-shirt.

”My trousers were wet as well,” Takasugi explained, but he didn't even try to put some innocence into his words.

Buddist monks would envy Shouyou's composure at that moment.

* * *

Shouyou asked Takasugi to come over and help with a new transport. There was no need for that since he already had one additional worker for these occasions, Gintoki. It just somehow happened. The proposition half-formed in his thoughts and then fell from his lips. But it couldn't be anything bad, right? Takasugi agreed on it too, without any reluctance.

He came exactly on time in the morning, which couldn't be said about Gintoki. He came an hour too late, but this time about his arrival didn't inform Shouyou with some made-up explanation why something had or had not happened. This time was quiet. He noticed it only by how Takasugi stopped for a moment.

Shouyou raised his gaze to see who came and seeing Gintoki, he smiled and said without thinking much: "Oh, you two know each other?"

"Yeah," Takasugi cut it down and moved back to moving the flowers to the shop.

"We were going to the same high school," Gintoki added.

"Did something happen?" Shouyou asked. Sole going together to school wouldn't put so grim expression on their faces for a moment.

"Takasugi stopped coming there one day." Gintoki moved to catch on some flower bowl, but when his eyes met Takasugi again he spoke to him: "Some stories were going around when you were gone."

Shouyou glanced at Takasugi. He gripped his hands on the flower bowl.

"What stories?" he asked without raising his eyes.

"That they threw you out of school. I've never believed in that. If they were going to throw anyone out, then that probably out of us two it would be me."

That relaxed Takasugi. He moved the flower bowl finally. He looked down on Gintoki. "Why would they throw me out?"

"You flirted with teachers."

Takasugi rolled his eyes.

"You know," Gintoki started again. "If you got to ladies, no one would bat an eye," Shouyou got only a glance how Takasugi's confidence dropped down and his lips sealed close. "But since you started to guys, everyone got more oversensitive."

"They didn't throw me out because of it," Takasugi forced out.

"So what happened?"

"I ran away."

"Oh."

That was the sign that Shouyou definitely shouldn't be a part of this conversation.

"You two have a lot to talk about."

"Good reflex as always, Shouyou," Gintoki grunted.

Shouyou hoped the subject to change quicker, but it turned out no matter what was mentioned this one thing resurfaced. Judging by Takasugi's behaviour, he would prefer Shouyou not to hear about it.

So he went to the shop. It was still an hour before opening. The only thing he could do was to put the new products in order, maybe composed a new arrangement for that day. He even considered dropping by Utsuro's coffee shop to kill time.

Could he leave his shop like that?

In the end, he might have overheard some things. They were talking a lot about some of their common friends. Takasugi wasn't much in the mood for reminiscing old times, but the talk somehow went on and on. And also there was this part:

"What are you planning sticking to Shouyou like that?" Gintoki asked.

"Neighbours' help?"

"Since when you're such a good boy, huh?"

"I like him," he paused for long. Gintoki didn't dare to speak. So Takasugi added. "But I don't have any expectations."

"To think about it... I've never seen him with anyone."

Shouyou moved away from the door. He shouldn't be listening to it. It already complicated to much everything in his head.

When they were done, Takasugi came to him to tell him about it. Gintoki already went home.

"The world is so small, isn't it? To meet someone like that..."

"Shouyou... I know you were eavesdropping."

"I'm sorry..."

"Do you still want me around?"

There wasn't anything else to do, but Shouyou knew Takasugi wasn't meaning that. He wanted to know if he wanted him around ever again.

"You can still come around," Shouyou said maybe a bit too quickly. When these words were let down he recalled what was the issue here, but Takasugi voiced it out:

"You want some gay guy on top of which interested in you to stick around?"

"You've never pressured me into anything. I enjoyed your company."

"And if I start to pressure you?"

"I'm not..."

"Type of guy interested in hookups?"

Naturally, another continuation of this sentence should come to mind first. It seemed that Takasugi managed to see through him that much.

"How did you find out?"

"That day when it rained. A straight guy wouldn't look at me like that." He glanced at Shouyou as if he was hesitating. Whatever idea was going on his mind, it seemed to lose as he soon backed off. "At least that I know about you. But, I won't pressure you into anything. I can wait and see what happens. If nothing, it'll still be alright with me."

"What are you interested in, then?"

"I... Dunno. At first, I wanted to reach you, to meet you, to get to know you. I was a coward pushing it for some other day, somehow I achieved it and... I was always a spoiled brat. When I got what I wanted, I started to want even more."

"Which is?"

"Be there every day. Help you open the shop. Help you close. Go on the lunch with you. Walk you home. Usual mundane things."

"Only that?"

"Of course not. I'm a rotten person after all," he chuckled, yet he soon reflected. "But mostly that. Maybe if this comes true, I would want even more. And it would go on like that until I become such a pain in the ass even you won't endure it. So far, I don't have any expectations. Don't worry."

Shouyou nodded. It all already turned where it shouldn't. He should try to change the subject, run away, get out somehow. Then why he wanted it to continue.

"What if..." Shouyou spoke. "What if it's all more complicated?"

"Then hypothetically I would say that I would love a challenge," Takasugi smiled.

* * *

These few words stayed in Shouyou's head. It was also painted on all his face, cause when only he got back home he heard from Utsuro:

”What happened?”

”Nothing,” Shouyou wanted to change the subject but nothing else was coming to his head. ”I told you not to smoke in the apartment,” he tried to follow their usual routine banters. He walked to open the window to get out the smell as Utsuro put down his cigarette watching him.

”What happened?” he repeated. ”You never come back flushed like a teenage girl whom someone... Did someone try to confess to you? I already pity that idiot.” And of course, it didn't end on it. Utsuro stood up from the couch and walked to him. ”Was it that guy that keeps coming to your shop every day? Must be quite a sweet-talker to make you all flustrated like that.”

“Shut up,” Shouyou let out unintentionally. He knew in case of Utsuro it was adding fuel to the fire.

“I saw how long he was waiting there one day. In that awful downpour. You’re going to ruin him like that.”

“Don’t be so pessimistic.”

“I know you well.”

“You're so well informed. I thought you have work to take care of, but it seems you have time to spy on me.”

”I'm only worried if you aren't getting too distracted... And from what I see,” Utsuro took a look on him,“ he messed you up.”

”You don't have to worry about me.”

“I don't like when you meet new people.” Utsuro moved a strand of Shouyou's hair back.

“It can't be avoided.”

“I can.”

Shouyou sighed. Maybe it couldn’t be helped. So far his brother accepted only one person around himself and nothing indicated that he was ever going to warm up towards anyone else. That was bit worrisome… Though usually out of them, Shouyou was the one causing more problems. So maybe there was a bit of truth in Utsuro’s words. There usually was.

“Just tell him to fuck off. You don’t need him.”

_Since you have me and I have you..._

No. They weren’t going to live like that. Shouyou pushed Utsuro on the wall. “What’s with that filthy language?”

“You want to put me in my place?” Utsuro dared him.

“Gladly.” Shouyou kissed him. Or more like he devoured him. He needed to show dominance over him.

Shouyou was the one causing more problems.

His hand ran down and yanked his pants off down to the floor.

“Going to fuck me by the wall?” Utsuro laughed. “Right in the entrance? You’re sipping out some youth energy from that brat or what?”

“Want me to do gag your mouth?”

That was one of a few things he hated or rather he loved too much to talk shit.

“Brother, I’m just suggesting other possibilities,” he cooed putting his arms around him.

Shouyou sometimes looked at him and could not understand how on earth there were people who couldn’t tell them apart.

“Okay,” he went for the compromise. “Bedroom.”

“Hm, so romantic.”

“More comfortable.” Shouyou pulled him to the bedroom and throw on the bed.

There was a face he showed to no one else than his brother. It wasn’t a good expression. Silent, almost tired anger. Yet, Utsuro loved it the most. He could keep his hands away from it, always cradling, caressing him, pushing him into staring right to him. Sometimes Shouyou let himself believe it was some form of self-punishment for him, but it was probably even sicker. He knew it was the truest Shouyou's expression and he kept indulging himself in being the only one who could witness it.

“Why are you so against him?” Shouyou asked when Utsuro was so overcome with pleasure he spread completely open for him.

“Now you’re bringing it up?”

“I can do whatever I want, can’t I?” His hands wrapped around Utsuro’s aching cock.

Utsuro rolled his eyes. “You know mentioning him is the quickest way to get kicked out from the bed.”

“Am I the one that should be the most worried about keeping me in bed now?” Shouyou murmured tracing teasingly over Utsuro’s hardness.

“Shut up.”

“Give that boy a chance.”

“Which one? You’re starting whole-ass kindergarten.”

“Takasugi Shinsuke.”

“How many names will you cast in bed with me?”

“Do you want me to keep going?” Shouyou tightened his grip. Utsuro nearly spasmed under him.

“Okay. Do what you want.” He didn’t have force left to fight him.

Shouyou entered him and fucked him. He kept him from coming until he got close to. Sometimes he liked to torment him. Utsuro loved it and he often crossed the line to get it from him.

It was all too fucked up to explain to anyone.

Shouyou sat on the verge of the bed and rethought everything over and over.

“You meant that?” he asked finally.

“If you make a mess, I’ll help you clean up. As always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I'm pushing too much ShouTaka agenda here, they are my otp, so my hands naturally slip to write them), next chapters will be more focused on other ships. You can check it already, cause the second chapter is up as well


	2. Utsuro POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To put it mildly, that brat hanging around with Shouyou is making Utsuro more and more annoyed. But is it only a bad thing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started writing it as "Utsuro falling for Takasugi", but after getting traumatised by Gintama ending chapters I wanted to change whole Utsuro plotline to "Utsuro is an asshole". The chapter, in the end, is some mess in between of that my two feelings about him

“Your puppy came. He seems a bit disoriented,” Utsuro mocked. He intended to go back to work, but somehow his eyes stayed on that boy.  
  
He watched as slight disorientation was soon hidden under self-confidence as the man walked to them. He was wearing his head so high, it would be a pleasure to tease him. He was pretty good looking too.  
  
“Shouyou,” Takasugi started. Of course. His eyes were already too focused on someone else. As always. “You didn't say you have a brother.”  
  
Oh, the kid was good. Smarter than kids that always stuck to Shouyou. At least Oboro was quiet and fast learning.  
  
“Utsuro,” he introduced himself. “Don't think you deserve free coffee, cause you babysit my brother sometimes.”  
  
“Okay…”  
  
“He's still mad that Gintoki sometimes runs out without paying,” Shouyou explained.  
  
“Mad? I'm going to tear him to shreds if I ever see him again.”  
  
“You and your threating.” Shouyou rolled his eyes and took his new puppy to one of the tables.  
  
Oboro served them, cause if Utsuro he moved even for an inch, he would just go burn this place down with everyone inside. Why Shouyou asked that guy to come here? To torment Utsuro with showing him how lovely-dovely he was getting with some brat that would be gone and forgotten in a few weeks tops?  
  
If he wanted to play, he could, that was what they were doing since Utsuro never engaged in relationship and Shouyou's even if happened sometimes lasted shortly. But had he shown it off that much this time? He didn't do it to this extent when he was still working here, so there was no excuse for his actions.  
  
Did he just want to make Utsuro watch it or...?  
  
Huh.  
  
Maybe there was something else going on there, but... Did he feel that unsure in this new relationship he needed his brother's back up? Utsuro hadn't believed that much when they once spoke about it. Shouyou was sometimes anxious without reason.  
  
What could bother him that much this time?  
  
Nothing good was coming to Utsuro's mind. Apparently, he had to endure it.  
  


* * *

  
  
Utsuro learnt to like only one of Shouyou’s found children – Oboro. There was some tearjerking story behind it that no one was telling how he picked him from the streets one day. His brother couldn't turn that Mother Theresa mode off. Utsuro was against it all the way, they didn't need more troubles, it was hard enough to make on living for the two of them. He turned out to be hardworking and quiet, so Utsuro stopped bitching about it after a few weeks.  
  
Oboro acted like a dog from a shelter. No matter what was done to him, he looked up for whatever reason to both of them so lovingly and loyally. Perfect victim to pick on. Utsuro laid his hands on him soon, mostly to annoy Shouyou. It only got worse when he decided to leave their coffee shop and try his dream of having the flower shop. He was an idiot. What did he try to achieve getting away from Utsuro? They both knew it wouldn't take long.  
  
And now to the pile of all Shouyou's crimes against all the reason added this punk with whom he was indulging himself. What would that give him? Only once again broken heart and sleepless nights, when Utsuro of fucking course would be the one to listen to all his cries.  
  
Utsuro had to let it all out of his system, cause it was only rising in him and would soon erupt one way or another.  
  
In a situation like this Oboro always came in handy.  
  
“You’re always staying so long after closing, such a good boy,” Utsuro coed when his hand slipped under his chin and brought him closer. Oboro’s breath hitched. “Already so excited?”  
  
“Utsuro-sama…” he mumbled.  
  
“Oh.” His other hand moved along Oboro’s hair-pulling part of the back part of a bit over growing banks.  
  
He loved to play him. To feel so much in power. And Oboro couldn’t resist it in any way. Utsuro needed only to growled at him to make him melt to the puddle.  
  
It was after closing, they could play even more. He moved him a bit lower, Oboro understood and drop to his knees. These were his best qualities: obedient and fast-learning. He took Utsuro’s cock out and took into his mouth. The man caressed his hair though. Good boy. He learnt everything they might want from him and didn’t ask any question. He only wanted to be here. As close to Shouyou as he could. He was so charmed by him. That made Utsuro harsher. But since he wasn't yet breaking him, he could go on.  
  
Maybe one day he would check if Shouyou was such an almighty saviour and would come to the rescue. Or rather he would show Oboro how was he mistaken about Shouyou.  
  
Not that he didn't suggest it many times already.  
  
No one knew Shouyou better than Utsuro. He wouldn't let anyone get to know him better.  
  
When Utsuro got close to coming, he yanked his hair back to look him in the eyes.  
  
“Swallow.”  
  
And Oboro obeyed.  
  
Utsuro caressed his cheek smirking. “Shouyou is so blind not to notice you.”  
  
Oboro's gaze got slightly sadder. He was well aware of it. Shouyou only played him from time to time. He didn’t get anything more, he didn’t get anywhere close. But in his small head it was all alright, he didn’t feel worth anything more.  
  
Somehow that was Utsuro’s least problem for that day.  
  
His eyes as his thoughts went to the tattoo station on the other side of the street. Before he didn't even realise it was there. The entrance wasn't striking and he got too distracted by the flower shop right next to it.  
  
Oboro followed Utsuro’s gaze.  
  
That man, Takasugi, was just closing his shop at the moment. Unaware of being watched.  
  
“Will he cause problems?” Oboro asked.  
  
“Definitely.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Tormenting Oboro wasn't enough. Next day, Utsuro dropped by the flower shop when it was near closing. He knocked to the door after entering to get Shouyou’s attention.  
  
“Do you need anything?” his brother asked a bit irritated.  
  
Utsuro smirked and came closer. He loved so much this look on his face. “Maybe a bit nicer. My money helps you keep this place.”  
  
Shouyou’s lips sealed close to a thin line.  
  
“I was thinking about some additional flowers…" Utsuro said coming closer. He didn't go straight to Shouyou. No. He took his time, slowly walking around the shop, with each step getting a bit closer.  
  
"You never think about things like that," Shouyou interrupted him.  
  
Utsuro rolled his eyes. "Details."  
  
"You closed earlier?"  
  
"Oboro is taking care of the shop."  
  
"He takes care of a lot of things lately."  
  
Utsuro smirked. "Your fault. I'm getting lonely without you."  
  
His eyes stopped over Shouyou’s desk. There was a pencil drawing. He recognised right away who was there portrayed. Shouyou. He was laughing with so much happiness in his eyes. Was it even real or was it someone’s sick imagination? He never looked like that.  
  
"Your new friend left it?" He asked raising his eyebrow. Utsuro recalled that drawing was the reason why that brat even got in touch with his brother. How much more was happening in between them? How close were they getting to each other? How did he manage to make Shouyou look like that…?  
  
Utsuro wanted to grab this drawing and tear it to shreds. No one should have seen Shouyou like that.  
  
If he couldn't destroy it, he did something else. He ran his fingers along with Shouyou's hand, arm. Caressed his neck, pulled back his hair.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Shouyou asked dully, unimpressed by his actions.  
  
"I got lonely."  
  
"Rather jealous."  
  
"I'm not known from pretty feelings." He leaned to kiss his lips.  
  
Shouyou kept staring at him with the same cold gaze. That was what Utsuro wanted to get. That was all he could get. But that was his. No one else could get a piece of it.  
  
He took Shouyou's face in his hands. The face that supposedly was exactly like his own. He never felt like it was his reflection. No matter what action he put on, he couldn't imitate it. He could only try to own it.  
  
_Hate me, look at me, be here._  
  
His eyes caught the drawing one more time. Had he ever seen Shouyou like that? It had to be a fantasy. Shouyou never laughed. He perfected his acting over the years, but underneath what he put on every day for a show was only this dulled expression. That was the real him. Even trying to reach with his memories before that dullness came, Utsuro couldn't recall seeing him laugh. He smiled sometimes, but even then it used to be only an act put on many occasions.  
  


* * *

  
  
Utsuro's nightmare got even worse. That brat came to the coffee shop.  
  
“Shouyou isn’t here,” Utsuro threw right away.  
  
“I know.”  
  
“So why are you here?”  
  
“It's a coffee shop, it's close to my work, there are no kids that make noise and coffee are decent.”  
  
_Decent?_ Someone was a pitiful fool asking for death. Utsuro let it slide this one time. And just like this, he also got habituated of seeing how that brat was coming now and then.  
  
Takasugi kept coming to the coffee shop. He was only stopping by to get a cup of coffee, spent around thirty minutes drinking it and sketching something and then he was going to Shouyou's shop for another thirty minutes. He had a lot of time to kill, didn't he?  
  
“You don't have any work to focus on?” Utsuro threw once bringing him coffee trying to put as much poison to his voice as he could. The worst was that this brat seemed not to be affected by it.  
  
“I do. I'm just taking it with myself.” He showed Utsuro something in his sketchbook. Some usual tattoo pattern, nothing to be impressed. “I had to change this tattoo a bit so it would work as a coverup for my client.”  
  
“What are they having to cover?”  
  
Takasugi reached for his phone that was laying next to him and showed him a photo of someone's arm.  
  


It took a lot of restraint not to laugh.

  
“I save some of the tattoos like that,” Takasugi continues. “Some examples of incompetence are so mind-blowing that they are almost arising to some artistic value.”

He showed him a few photos. He was right. Things that were this bad were a piece of art.

“It's a shame to cover them.”

“All these monsters will be remembered,” Takasugi grinned putting down his phone.

Huh, so this brat was more interessing that Utsuro had thought. How even got stuck to Shouyou. Utsuro always thought this kind of differences were pushing each other away quite painfully. How in the world they could act together so well matched?

Yeah, that brat knew how to mess with someone's head.

Takasugi wanted to get back to his _work_ , yet something had taken his attention elsewhere and he turned a few pages back in his sketchbook.

“Since you're wondering what I'm doing at your coffee shop all this time, you can take it.” He turned out one page and gave it to Utsuro. Then he added. “Sometimes I just have to practice drawing.”

Utsuro only took a glance at what was there. What? “You sketched me?”

“Yeah, why not?”

“Thought you like my brother.”

“If I draw only things I like, I would never learn.”

“Smartass.”

Takasugi grinned like it was a compliment. Maybe it was.

Utsuro took a better look at the drawing he got after closing. He couldn't give Takasugi that much satisfaction in one day.

In most cases, all that Utsuro saw in his photos, reflections, other people's eyes was some faulty imitation of Shouyou. But not now. This time he was looking at something he could call himself.

* * *

On the other side of the street, Takasugi was standing and smoking. It wasn't his usual time for a break. Something had to pull him out of his routine. Utsuro watched him for a bit moving in his pocket a lighter. He pushed it deep down and went across the street. Why did this kid give him so many bad ideas?

“Have a light?” he asked.

“Yeah.” Takasugi reached to his pocket and took out his lighter. He ignited it and shield with his hand from the wind.

Utsuro took a cigarette and moved close to the fire. So close Takasugi's hand brushed his cheek. When it ignited, he moved back.

“Everything's alright?” he asked casually.

“Everything's shitty,” Takasugi answered. “Customer pissed me off.”

“Was he mad for a bad tattoo?”

“My tattoos are never bad,” he snarled. Utsuro was starting to get why Shouyou had a sweet spot for a brat like that. “I made a sketch, he didn't like the price.”

“You value yourself.”

“I won't put myself down for some asshole.”

“Hm… We're a complete contrast to Shouyou. I'm waiting until he starts to give all these flowers for free. Should happen soon.”

“Generosity is a good trait.”

“Probably. But we're both lacking it...”

Takasugi hummed and moved close to Utsuro. Too close for usual personal interactions.

“Don't you try to woo my brother?” Utsuro stopped him seeing where it was going.

“Maybe I already did?”

“Now you want something else?” He pushed him on the wall.

“Or maybe something more?”

That sounded interesting, but... It didn't take much to recall the way Takasugi looked at Shouyou. Utsuro knew that gaze well, he had to endure many people starting like that at his brother. And he knew well what it meant. There wasn't much place in his heart nor mind for anyone else.

That brat was smart, he was on something.

“You’re still fighting for my brother.” When that realisation hit him, he let Takasugi go. Why all kids Shouyou was bringing caused problems?

“I figured out you two…”

“And you’ve fallen for him so badly that…” Utsuro laughed bitterly. People were always falling for Shouyou, but if it was becoming like this, it was seriously going to bring him troubles. "You're a smart kid. Don't get involved in something like that. Forget about him."

“Maybe I'm not that smart.”

“You will regret that.”

“Then it will be my problem,” Takasugi put down his cigarette down and went back to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Utsuro was hard to recreate in this plot that forced me to make Shouyou more per se "empty", but I hope he still made some sense and someone will keep on reading this fic ;-;
> 
> I'll try to keep posting it two chapters per week. And for now, let me know in comments what you're thinking so far about it, concrits are welcome, you can also find me at Twitter as @AkikoKitsune


	3. Oboro POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pitiful. That word describbed the best Oboro's life. Definitely the way how by loving Shouyou he became an Utsuro's plaything. But it was alright. At least until Takasugi didn't start interviing with their lives too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit sooner update than I've planned.
> 
> Before anything happens, I promise that Oboro will reach some happiness and love in this story, trust me. And, if you haven't noticed yet, Utsuro is an asshole in this story, that's his charm, I guess.

Pitiful.

That one word was enough to describe Oboro's life. He would use it to if someone asked him about it. Even if everything changed, even if he was saved, that word was still stuck to him. Maybe somethings couldn't be changed, maybe he couldn't change.

Maybe it was just the right word to describe him as a whole. Oboro would agree on it too.

Two years ago, one thing happened that made him crossed out his whole life that happened before it, cause it lost all meaning. Or rather one good thing happened. So good and bright that it blinded him toward anything else. His eyes forever stayed in that one moment of his life.

Two years ago, Oboro met Shouyou. He was saved by him. Raised from the lowest and pulled into a different life.

From that moment everything should go well, shouldn't it? He was given so much, so why did his life stay so pitiful?

All because of one, small thing – Oboro fell for him.

It wasn’t surprising. Shouyou was his saviour. He was always so kind and gentle. So warm and welcoming. And as it turned out when it was too late to move back, he was also the downside on which Oboro slipped and fell to the deepest low. Shouyou was so distant. Impossible to grab on. You could talk with him, exchange a few smiles, but never even scratched the surface of who he was. And as Oboro was falling, he tried to grab onto anything, he was so desperate to stay close.

And that was the pact with the devil.

Shouyou had a twin brother, Utsuro. He was… different. In every possible sense apart from looks. There were only some subtle differences hard to notice even to a trained eye for at first glance. Both kept their usually blond hair long, though Shouyou's bangs tend to curl up a bit and Utsuro brushed his up to the sides. They both wore hard to read the expression, Shouyou kept a soft smile while Utsuro if ever then it was rather a smirk than a smile. However, all the things that could be said differences could be easily blurred. Like Utsuro's bangs fell, Shouyou had a worse day that dulled his expression.

Oboro got lost somewhere in between them. That was how pitiful he was.

"You like him, huh?" Utsuro said when they were left alone.

Oboro wanted the ground to swallow him. He should have known someone would find it out. Someone would finally see how pitiful his life was. Someone would laugh it off.

"You know he won't even look at you?"

Oboro knew. He easily learnt where his place was.

"So pitiful," Utsuro chuckled.

Yes, he was pitiful.

Even more, because somehow by talking like that, teasing; Utsuro managed to wrap around him. Oboro didn't even know why it all moved him to go down on his knees for him in the toilet.

It got worse when Shouyou left to start his flower shop. Utsuro was getting lonely, but probably closer to truth was naming it as _bored_ and _unrestrained_. Shouyou was still dropping by on multiple occasions, so it was only a matter of time until he walked on them.

Oboro froze then. Utsuro grinned saying: "You made me lonely."

Shouyou went closer. He put his hand covering Oboro's eyes.

"Go, I'll talk to him, " he heard Shouyou's soft voice.

"Cleaning my mess? That's unusual," Utsuro hummed but walked away.

Shouyou moved his hand away when his brother left. Oboro barely dared to breathe. He felt how tears were rising his eyes, he had to endure it, he couldn't let himself cry out.

Shouyou saw them. He saw the most pitiful side of Oboro. He would throw him away now. He would throw him away now. No one would want to ever keep something so pitiful.

Oboro just wanted to stay here.

Shouyou crouched down to him. Reached his hand once more to him to caress his cheek as if he wanted to calm him down. Oboro dared to took one glance of him. Shouyou wore his most tender expression.

_Don't throw me out looking at me like that._

"Did he…” Shouyou started. “Did he hurt you?"

"No."

Even if Oboro was a bit persuaded to engage in this kind of relationship, he agreed on it. It was easy. It comforted all the wants that were arising in him seeing Shouyou each day but couldn't reach him. Oboro put it in his head like that for the first time at that moment. Because it was then when it hit him how pitiful his situation was. Shouyou would always be out of his reach. He could be right there, smiling softly to him, but at the same time be so distant like he was never truly there.

Maybe that was why at that moment, these words seemed to matter so little that he dared to say them out loud: "I fell in love with you."

Shouyou looked at him a bit sadly. A bit dull. He took his hand back.

"I understand if you…" he started as if he didn't even hear what Oboro said.

"I want to stay."

"Even if this repeats?"

"Yes." Maybe that was the whole reason why he wanted to stay here.

* * *

A week later, maybe a bit more, something strange happened. Utsuro asked him to come with him to his home after work. Oboro never objected. He knew what he was agreeing for, at least so he had thought.

When they got there, they went straight to the bedroom. Utsuro didn't let Oboro wander anywhere, see anything. It was alright. Oboro didn't need to see, to know anything. But the moment they got on the bed, it became strange.

Utsuro put the blindfold on Oboro's eyes. His breath hitched, but he let it go on. He felt hands on his body undressing him, then moving along his naked body. Oboro knew well what Utsuro could do with him, so his body couldn't relax. He awaited as the attentive caresses would change into scratches and forceful grips. Utsuro liked to mark him in every way possible.

Nothing like that happened.

Oboro felt the second pair of hands. He tensed in the alert. Who was there too? He tried his hardest to pick up anything about the person touching him from behind. Long finger, smooth skin, gentle. He moved a bit back and felt hardening cock. Male.

Yet, could he be even sure who was in front of him? Maybe Utsuro had left and let someone else play with Oboro. It wouldn't be so surprising. He was so pitiful that no one would pay much attention to him.

Oboro soon shook that possibility off. He knew Utsuro well. He could feel him here. He knew how he touched him, how he smelt, how he breathed. So each time Oboro leaned forward to kiss someone, he could be almost sure, it was Utsuro.

Who was the person behind him? So attentive and tender? Kissing slowly his nape, his shoulders, his back.

Oboro freeze

He could swear he felt someone's long hair against his back. It couldn't be Utsuro's, he was right before him, so...

Could it be?

It seemed too much like a dream his mind create for him, but he let himself dream it.

Oboro was usually obedient and submissive, especially in bed. This time it was getting even more visible. His body relaxed and became pliant. He was like a doll in their hands. Spread on them to show his body even more. Doing anything they moved him into. Only sometimes shifted closer yearning for touches.

He would do anything. Just to stay here. Just to be touch. Just to be let dream about being loved.

Afterwards, one person left. Oboro was too tired to reach for them. Ask them to stay. Ask them who they were.

A few minutes later, the one that stayed took his blindfold.

Utsuro.

Who was the other then?

Oboro didn't dare to ask. As he never questioned anything. He watched. Why ask if usually clues were left all around?

At that time in the apartment, apart from them, was only Shouyou.

This strange occurrence repeated a few times. Sometimes without the blindfold.

* * *

Sometime later, one more strange things happened. Their lives and their routine got disturbed. By a hurricane that even Utsuro could face against for long and had to go find shelter against.

Its name was Takasugi Shinsuke. Mean, self-absorbed punk who ran tattoo station next to Shouyou's flower shop.

“He tries to avoid me, doesn't he?” Takasugi asked when Oboro brought him his coffee. Usually, Utsuro took care of it, but he gave up and sheltered in the staff room knowing beforehand at what hour the hurricane would come.

“I don't know,” Oboro said unemotionally.

“You know. Tell him that if he wants to get rid of me, he should tell it to my face.”

Definitely. Like Utsuro didn't have more important things on his head than one strange customer.

Oboro should leave this conversation on it, but for some reason, words fell down his mouth. “Would that work? Telling you to go?”

“Would it harm to try?” Takasugi smirked.

Oboro wanted many times to ask him to leave. He knew how much irritation he was bringing in Utsuro, but he figured out there was something more going on. He wasn’t sure what game was played between them. Something connected to Shouyou, for sure. Since he was the reason behind Takasugi catching Utsuro's attention and coming here for the first time.

That one thing was enough to spike irritation even in Oboro, even if his feelings were usually impulsive. But he refrained from doing anything. If Utsuro wanted to get rid of him, he would do it himself. Oboro didn’t need to step out of line.

* * *

"We're closing sooner today," Oboro said gloomy standing over Takasugi sipping his coffee in his routine without paying an ounce attention to the sign on the doors apologising for sooner closure.

“And he still didn't come out. Didn't know he was such a coward,” Takasugi murmured.

“Utsuro-sama has more important issues to focus on.”

Takasugi raised his eyebrow hearing how Oboro titled his employer.

“Well, if _Utsuro-sama_ doesn't lower himself to us, what can we do, huh?” he chuckled. "I can help you close," he said standing up.

“There is no need,” please, leave.

Takasugi stopped and noticing they were only people left. “How much time you waited before you asked me to leave?” He glanced at him.

Half an hour. Oboro needed a lot of time to gather courage in himself to speak to people. Of course, he didn't say that out loud. It was too pitiful.

Takasugi didn't press him to answer, yet his gaze stayed on Oboro. Probably for the first time he took a closer look on him. That made Oboro lower his head. He had a reason to be so self-conscious. His body was scarred, that was the remanent of the time before he met Shouyou. It meant nothing to him, but it was here and made him look like a monster.

Utsuro was saying that to him too. So even if Oboro cover all mirrors around, he would be still reminded about it. The worst was one running through his face. There was no way to cover it nor to do anything. He had to bear that that was what people say when they looked at him.

“Damn, that's a nasty scar.” Takasugi moved a bit closer. Oboro impatiently moved one step back. Takasugi had to notice it, cause he stopped. “You sure you don't need help?”

“I'm good alone by myself.” Oboro dared to look him in the eyes.

“'kay,” Takasugi brushed it off completely and went out.

Oboro felt as his legs almost break under him. The life was going to become so much harder with Takasugi around.

* * *

“Let me guess, you're closing sooner today too?” Takasugi groaned raising his eyes at Oboro. “Your boss wants to get out of business, huh?”

“There aren't that many customers in the evenings here.”

Takasugi rolled his eyes and closed his sketchbook. Yet, he didn't stand up from his seat. No. He turned all his attention to Oboro.

It had been just a few weeks, but since he was coming here every day and bothered him a lot, something kind of warmed up between them.

"You..." Oboro started, but he should ask about things like that. No matter how familiar they got.

"Yeah?" Of course, Takasugi didn't let him escape.

"You're trying to get to Shouyou?"

"Easy to notice, huh?"

Not as easy as it was to spot about Oboro. Takasugi had to figure it out himself. That whenever Shouyou dropped by and smiled, said "good job" or just mentioned his name, Oboro's whole world was stopping.

Takasugi was better and covering his true motives.

"I don't know if it's that easy to notice," Oboro started slowly. "I... I just was there too."

"And?" Takasugi asked casually.

"I think I lost."

"So? Do you have some tips for me? That I shouldn't get so distracted?"

Oboro shook his head. "I'm only afraid that what we're looking for does not exist."

"Huh... I won't give up though. I'm never letting go easily."

Oboro smiled. "That I can confirm already."

“Say..." This time Takasugi asked a bit unsurely. Maybe that was how being familiar with each other worked. One could "What's with your scars? What happened that you get them?”

“Car accident.”

“It had to be awful.”

“I survived. My parents didn't. But it was long ago. I almost don't remember about it.”

“But scars remained.”

“I have more of them... Afterwards, I went from one foster family to another. Life couldn’t work out no matter what. Until Shouyou found me on the streets. He helped me get work here.”

Oboro noticed how Takasugi's interest got picked when he mentioned Shouyou's name.

“Huh, he has to be very important to you then.” His voice was so soft. Oboro even looked up to check if it was still Takasugi. How did it happen that someone so sharp-tongued with a devil-may-care attitude, could speak so softly? Yet, it was still him.

Frankly, to that moment, Oboro hadn’t taken a good look on him. Staring at people were inappropriate and he never wanted to be caught on it, even if someone picked his interest, so his gaze always went down. This time he let it went up, follow handsome features, narrow eyes, soft-looking lips. Only then Oboro noticed his hair was coloured in dark purple shade. He touched a strand of them.

What...?

He let go. What happened to him to act so...?

Takasugi didn't mind it at all. He only sighed. "I have to redo them soon or let them fade."

"I like them."

“Really?” Takasugi shifted a bit to get their faces closer to each other. "You know what? That scar makes you look so scary. Almost like yakuza," he chuckled. "But you're actually soft, who would have known, huh..." Takasugi traced over the scar. His touch was so tender.

Oboro whimpered. Why...? How...?

Takasugi smirked. “Finally some colours on these face.” Oboro looked puzzled at him. But Takasugi didn't move any further. “You know where to find me if you ever need anything.”

He was a dangerous man. A very dangerous man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last scene gave me so many troubles, I wrote like 4 different version of it...
> 
> Let me know in comments how it turned out in the end, concrits are welcome, you can also find me at Twitter as @AkikoKitsune


	4. Takasugi POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All, even the most careful, actions have consequences and will be noticed at some point. Takasugi was aware of it, but he might have not calculated well where it would lead him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is utter shit, I had really bad writing days lately

“You're in touch with Zura?” Gintoki asked probably because he was running out of subjects. Takasugi finally went to drink with him, but with both of them not wanting much to talk about what they had left behind, it was going rather awkward. But maybe soon the alcohol would kick in and helped them.

“Yeah. He was always a pain in the ass. Hard to get rid of. Sakamoto is even worse.”

“So the whole pack is almost back?”

“Don't think so. Each of us has found his own life. There is no mean of trying to go back to it.”

“But going for a drink from time to time?”

“Maybe...”

"I still wonder why... eh," Gintoki changed his mind. "Not a good subject to drink to." He took his glass he stirred it a few times in the air trying to come up with something else. "Why tattoos? You were always an emo gremlin, but to make a living from it?"

"I had to find anything and it turned out I'm pretty good at it..." Takasugi felt that alcohol took effect when the following words left his lips: "There was a guy."

Gintoki laughed over his beer. Yeah, it was this time of the generic story.

"What happened to the guy?"

"I found out he was into me."

"Is it bad?"

"Sometimes... We kind of were together. It around when I ran away, I had no other place to crash, so I ran away to him. He kept it casual, but I was getting this feeling I was taking too much and one day it would end badly. So I took off."

"That's why you're going so slow on Shouyou?"

"Dunno. I rather don't want to screw it up."

"Damn, for the first time I see you unsure."

"I know, for me, it's a first time like that too," he chuckled but raised his glass soon. To let alcohol wipe out some of his anxiousness. "I didn't want to put him in the same position I was, but... At this point, I think I have cornered him even worse."

"He's a big boy, he can handle one brat."

_I hope._ The last thing Takasugi wanted to do was to make Shouyou uncomfortable. And that was the essence of his problem. He had never before thought about someone's else feelings to this expend. He wasn't running around hurting around, he wasn't a psychopath, but he was aware there were situations where it couldn't be avoided or where a little pushing would eventually lead to something better.

He used to walk around so freely and now, he felt like he was on the minefield.

"What have you wanted to ask?" Takasugi asked trying to set his mind anywhere else.

"I changed my mind."

"You have only this one occasion."

Gintoki hesitated once more, but let it out: "Did something happen?"

"That made me run away? Just... Something was breaking for a longer time and one day broke loose, I packed myself and walked away. Everything around was slowly becoming unbearable..."

“So why did you try to get to the teachers?”

Takasugi raised his eyebrow. “Is it so shameful?”

“Careless.”

“Maybe...” Takasugi sighed. Life wouldn't be too easy if he could avoid talking about it. “It wasn't like they didn't want to... I guess I was seeking attention as every other teen does. At the time even if I screamed, it wasn't changing anything. Coming out wasn't the worst. The worst was when the world around was like 'yeah, we know, now go, hide in some hole and play nice'.”

“That doesn't suit you at all,” Gintoki chuckled.

“I would suffocate. So I stirred troubles.”

“And then you settle down as a punk having a tattoo station?”

“Yeah,” Takasugi laughed. “That's probably the most settle down version of me this world will ever see.”

“You don't stir troubles any more?” Gintoki raised his eyebrow.

He did behave. For some time. And then he saw Shouyou. From that moment he started to cause a lot of troubles to everyone around. Maybe once again he just wanted to be noticed. So stupid and childish.

“Maybe a little bit,” he answered only.

“You know that Shouyou has a brother.”

“What about him?” Maybe this evening wasn't completely wasted. If Gintoki knew anything...

“Better to stay away from him.”

“Too late, I guess,” Takasugi threw without even looking at Gintoki. “He makes decent coffee.”

“Never got to try. He always threw a knife when I want to walk in there.”

Takasugi couldn’t tell whether this statement was an exaggeration. He decided not to put too much attention on it.

* * *

"Hangover?" Shouyou asked seeing him feeling unwell the next day.

"Yeah. Long night." He put the sketchbook aside.

Shouyou shifted closer to him. “You are acting out lately.” Takasugi knew well what he didn't mean only las night. He only waited in silence for a more specific reaction. “You’ve thought I wouldn't notice it?”

Takasugi smirked. “Maybe I wanted to catch your attention?”

"And...? What then?"

"We both know it could end two way: either you tell me to go fuck myself or..." Takasugi stopped. Was he pushing too much? Maybe it was better to retreat? His doubts led him into quickly muttering: "But I don't mind whatever now is going on."

Why was he becoming because of it all a fucking coward?

“Shinsuke...”

"Yeah?"

"Come here tomorrow." Of course, he would come he didn't need to ask him for that. Shouyou needed one more time to rethink what he was going to say. “After closing.”

“Okay.”

That kept him on the tip of his toes for the rest of the day, the whole night and the next day. Good, he didn’t have much work to focus on.

* * *

Shouyou invited him in with the same gentle smile as every day. The only difference was that he closed the door after him and pulled the signed to _closed_. Takasugi didn’t mind it. They went to the staff room.

Shouyou kissed him here. That was a bit unexpected. He always seemed so avoidant, but Takasugi wasn’t complaining. He put his arms around his neck. It was so good to finally get a taste of these lips.

Takasugi heard some footsteps behind him. Shouyou kept his face turned to him as the kisses were becoming longer and consuming all his thoughts away. He barely registered when there came another pair of hands and as they were placed on his waist from the behind. And as the person got closer, he fell deeper and deeper in that embrace, until their bodies could lean on each other. Only then, for a moment, Shouyou stopped his kisses and let Takasugi's gaze to wander.

He put his head back leaning completely at the stranger. He was with Shouyou, there was nothing he feared at this moment. It was his heaven, the fulfilment of all his wishes.

He saw the blond hair and a face of the same features as Shouyou's. He almost trying to imitate his gentle expression, even if everyone in this room knew, Takasugi was going to be devoured by these two brothers.

Shouyou's hands ran down his body, gently getting him out of clothes, as he was too focused on the image of Utsuro.

Takasugi was starting to understand that, putting aside any specific feelings, when any of the bothers’ gaze met his, he couldn't look away. Maybe he had gotten too deep in it. His only plan was to get closer to Shouyou. And now he was just sinking and couldn't even resist it.

When Shouyou's hands got to his pants, he pulled him closer by them. Takasugi let himself be led to him, he fell on his lips. He moved his hands across his body. Trying to undress Shouyou, though the kisses were distracting him.

Takasugi soon felt the pair of hands from behind again. Utsuro's hands moved across his naked skin. His fingers teased his nipples.

Takasugi moaned. He leaned back. Now, Utsuro's chest was bare too, as Takasugi no longer felt any fabric between him and hot skin. He reached his arm back and pulled Utsuro's face to his. His lips to his. The man stopped playing being gentle. In his kisses, he was trying to devour Takasugi.

Utsuro turned him around. Shouyou pressed to his back. Or so Takasugi had thought. He didn't know yet how to tell apart their bodies.

“He can take it, you don’t have to worry that much,” that had to be Utsuro.

“Maybe if we take time and...”

Oh, no, no more waiting, he wanted them now, both, close, as close as possible, even closer. His mind was melting.

He felt Shouyou moving back. No, no. He almost reached out to keep him close. Shouyou wasn't going anywhere far. He only moved to get some lube and condoms.

How surreal this day was going to become?

“You have there everything prepared?” Takasugi chuckled.

“This room saw quite a lot,” Utsuro murmured to his ear. Shouyou wouldn't say so indecent things.

“Yeah, you saw it too,” Takasugi turned to him.

“Everything of it. My brother is a total bore without me.”

Shouyou pulled Takasugi to himself ripping him from Utsuro's arm. They moved to the couch.

Again Takasugi was losing track of who was where. They moved him around so much. One of them finally reached for the lube and gently worked first finger it. If there were not someone's lips on Takasugi's, he would tell him to hurry up. But there was no hurry. Only prolonged suffering as one, then two fingers gently stretched him.

The other man added his fingers too. Two hands were slipping in and out.

“Are you sure you can take it?” he was asked. Oh, so that had to be Shouyou, so gentle and thoughtful.

Takasugi just leaned to kiss him cradling his face. He was right in heaven and it was going to get better. “I want you both inside. I need you.”

“We made him wait for long enough.”

“Hm, he endured it so well.”

Both of the brothers moved closer.

Takasugi shifted to his knees and when he moved down he felt two hard cocks underneath him. They were going to split him open. He couldn’t wait for it to happen. He lowered himself on them. Inch by inch. He felt so full. He let himself breath in. He was the first time in a situation like that. He moved a bit shakily higher and then down. Okay, he can make it.

Takasugi was impatient. He decided himself what pace would work the best. He wanted to achieve pleasure soon, so waiting as someone would hand it to him never worked up. But brothers let him have it. One of them gently kept him securing his balance, yeah, that had to be Shouyou, Takasugi was kissing him the most. The other let him had it and only watched.

Soon all Takasugi's thoughts blurred in mindless pursuing for pleasure. Bothers moved closer to him, so he was closely trapped between their bodies. He loved that. He loved the heat, the friction, the stretch.

His fingers curled trying to catch on anyone's body. He tried to grab them both. He was constantly trying to keep them both by themselves. He might have liked it a bit too much.

But it was also tiring. Too much happening at once. After coming once, he got too lazy to take any further action than making them come as well. He only leaned on them and try to calm his overheated body. His thoughts didn't catch up yet with the situation.

He noticed how Utsuro's nail dug into Shouyou's hand. It looked painful. Why didn't he notice it sooner? Or was it just know? It had to. Before he kept both their hands busy.

“You're going to take care of him?” Utsuro asked.

Takasugi didn't hear Shouyou answering anything, but he had to nod or something, cause soon Utsuro moved back from him.

It was alright. Takasugi indulgent himself by nuzzling into Shouyou's arms.

“Everything's alright?”

"Yeah," Takasugi said. That was probably the sign to return to reality. He didn't want to. He would prefer to stay in that surreal, pleasurable moment.

Everything's going to end sometime.

* * *

Could they keep their routine after what happened? Takasugi hadn't thought about it enough. He had some worries. Although in the coffee shop, nothing changed which calmed him. His doubts returned the moment he entered the flower shop and Shouyou stared at him surprised.

“I shouldn't come today?” Takasugi asked. Had he messed up? At this moment? That would felt as if his fingers touched everything what he wanted, but failed to grab it and only felt as it slipped away from him.

Shouyou expression soon turned so soft that Takasugi felt how his legs were going weak. They slipped right into their peaceful routine. They chatted maybe even more freely than ever, they smiled and laughed more.

Only when the time of Takasugi's departure was getting closer, something started crawling into Shouyou's thoughts. He got a bit quieter, he only smiled a bit artificially.

“I'm not the best in relationships,” Shouyou spoke.

“I don't mind.”

“... What if... What if one day I just tell you to leave?”

Takasugi bit his lip. He was a kind of person to fight to the end. But... That would be the end, right? Further fighting would only hurt both of them.

“Can I do anything apart from doing what you want? That's the least I can give you.”

“Thank you.”

Takasugi breathed out. Okay. That seemed to be the right answer. Right for this moment. Who knew what they would prone to if that scenario would happen.

It wasn't something Takasugi wanted to wonder about now. “So? What now?” he asked to change the mood a bit.

“We can try... something.”

Takasugi laughed. “Yeah, I've already noticed it's a bit complicated.”

“Didn't you like the challenge?”

“No. I love it.” He kissed Shouyou.

He loved him.

But... That could stay for some other time. The complicated game should be played carefully.

* * *

After a few days of pleasant routine, Shouyou came to Takasugi's tattoo station. He didn't mind it, he didn't have any clients at the moment, but something was off. Something made him stay on his guard.

“I came to hang around a bit.” Shouyou leaned on the counter.

Takasugi kept watching him. He needed to understand what was bothering him. It wasn't an hour when Shouyou could get out of his work. But that wasn't the case. Something in his behaviour...

Oh.

That was the matter.

“Why are you acting like your brother?” Takasugi asked him.

Utsuro smiled and moved closer. “Not many people can tell us apart.”

“Add me to the list.”

“I keep that in mind. Are there any client coming any soon?”

“You came to my workplace to fuck me?”

“Don’t like that?”

“You’ll need to work a bit harder for that.”

“You always seemed pretty easy.”

“I’m going after what may give me some gain. And this doesn’t seem to be like it.”

“Don’t you want to get closer to Shouyou?”

“He is not here.” He already tried playing this trick. Coming closer to Utsuro didn’t change much and getting closer would probably have an even smaller effect.

“You don’t want me to fuck you again?”

“You have a very high opinion of highly.” Takasugi scoffed. Utsuro had a point. But it was all a game and Takasugi needed to set it right.

“You picked my interest,” Utsuro tried to bite it from another side.

“Shame that is Shouyou that picked mine.”

“Hm, I've got used to having a wonderful twin brother. It’s always like this. You all have your eyes only for him.”

“And you don’t want to catch something on your own, only to prey on what he had gained.”

"Do you think that if he felt anything to you, he would ask me to come there?"

"And do you think that if you were enough for him, he would spend so much time with me?" Takasugi leaned on his chest. "How does it feel? When someone knows how to play your game?"

“Hm... Puppy knows how to bite, ha...”

“I know a lot of stuff.”

"Like?"

"How to get what I want." He pushed Utsuro on the wall and kissed him. He soon lost the fight between them.

Utsuro fucked him over the desk. They'd made a lot of mess. Takasugi getting out from post-orgasming haze started realising what a pain in the ass that relationship would be. Apart from literal pain, but that could be helped with a bottle of lube which he should start having around.

It stopped being a surprise why Shouyou's flower shop was so well-equipped.

“I won't let you take him from me,” Utsuro said.

“To where? I'm not going anywhere.”

“You think I'm seeing first time how someone falls for him.”

“And you always tried to interfere?" Takasugi asked. He bluffed to check the ground. Utsuro didn't answer. His expression darkened. Ha... Takasugi dared to move even further. “You've just never seen him before falling for someone else.”

“You aren't worried how it's going to hurt when I throw you from your high horse.”

"We'll see who get who," Takasugi grinned and watched him go.

He sighed when he was sure he was alone. He stepped into a complicated game. Maybe even too complicated for him. But he loved the challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a nightmare for me to edit/rewrite, I hope it was readable.
> 
> Next week I'm going on vacation (I found out about it last Wednesday), so that might delay next entry for an additional week, but I'll try my best to avoid it.
> 
> And as always, I'm a hoe for all kinds of feedback and comments (concrits welcome) here or on Twitter (find me as @AkikoKitsune)


	5. Shouyou POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou made a move towards Takasugi, but he can't help doubting if it was the right decision. Which also make him think about another complicated relationship in his life - Oboro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the very delayed update, I was forced onto last-minute vacation with my mom and I had very limited access to wifi, so even if I could write new stuff, editing older thing was impossible. The rest of the story would gradually show up during this week.

Takasugi came sooner than usual. That picked Shouyou's attention, but since the man seemed not to address it himself, he didn’t do it either. Maybe it was all caused by some mundane thing. Maybe he didn’t have any more clients for that day or he got tired and chose to close sooner. The second one was becoming more probable as Shouyou watched him.

“Everything’s alright?” he asked in the end.

“Yeah.” Takasugi put his sketchbook aside and wiped his face with his hand. “Work killed me today. Complicated tattoo. I knew I would be able to do that one and nothing else, so I closed early.”

“You have a right to rest after the hard work.” Shouyou’s hand brushed over his shoulder. He grabbed it a bit stronger. “Huh, you’re indeed stressed.”

“I didn’t want to mess up today.”

Shouyou kissed his forehead. “I’m sure you’ve done well. Now, let me help you relax, okay?”

“Okay.”

Shouyou moved closer to him and reach to both of his shoulders. He started gently. Only to feel where the stress accumulated. There was quite a bit of it and… Well, he started to get some idea on how to ease that tension.

“Maybe I should close today sooner too,” Shouyou wondered.

“Hm? How thorough you want to make me relax?”

“As much as you deserve it.”

Shouyou went to the door at the turn the sign to _closed_. Then he went back to Takasugi. They should move to the staff room on the back where no one would bother them, but somehow he could help but to cup his face in his hands and kiss him. His lips tasted good. In moments like that he started to doubt what he was doing. His mind was trying to find something that was wrong, cause something had to be wrong. It couldn’t be good.

Somehow with Takasugi, he couldn’t find anything that would be bad, anything that would be a sign for him to move away. And that was maybe even scarier. There was nothing he could grab on and go back. There was only sinking lower.

Should he let himself sink?

“Let’s move somewhere private,” Shouyou murmured still cupping his face.

Takasugi nodded. His eyes were focused on Shouyou like there was nothing else in this world.

_Don’t look like that on me. It won’t bring you anything good._

Back in the staff room, they took the couch. Shouyou’s hands ran down Takasugi’s body. He knew how to ease tension from his muscles. He removed more and more clothing off him. He noticed reddened marks running down his chest.

“You've met with my brother, huh.” Shouyou traced his finger along the line of hickeys. He was even surprised. It was so common for Utsuro to taint whatever Shouyou was reaching for. Usually, the person, caught in between their game at this moment when it got out, tried to run away, felt ashame or guilty. They felt that they had betrayed Shouyou.

Takasugi didn't. He just casually answered: “He dropped by.” He was still trying to work out the rules of the game he got tangled in, but he felt sure enough to start playing it. Or maybe that was his character trait – if he went into something, he would keep his head high. Particular man.

Shouyou took his chin and raised it higher. He wanted to make sure if there weren't any marks on his neck. He would have noticed them earlier if there were any. His fingers traced along with it. It seemed to be helpful for him to mark. To show off the world, they claimed this boy theirs.

Shouyou was never leaving marks in visible places. So why now he moved to kiss Takasugi's neck and why his teeth were brushing the skin teasing before took a bit? What was going with him?

Takasugi whimpered softly, but when Shoyou looked at his face he smirked and kissed him. He didn't notice there was something wrong. While for Shouyou it was falling with a hyperspeed.

He moved back. To get back to himself, to stop falling, to run away. It looked as if he only wanted to catch a breath. Takasugi didn't move after him. The distance let Shouyou see the damage he had done. There was a crimson hickey on Takasugi's neck. Too high to be covered by anything. He didn't mind it. No, he wore it as it was the greatest award.

Shouyou moved to kiss him again. He was starting to understand why he felt unsure with every move. It was the first time when they were doing it alone.

Something had to go wrong.

They heard knocking. Takasugi froze and looked at him. Shouyou, on the other hand, relaxed. Finally, something he knew. He barely suppressed a sigh in relieve.

“You can come in,” Shouyou spoke.

Takasugi at first wanted to oppose it, but his eyes focused on Shouyou. He gathered so much trust in him. “Yeah, why not?”

The door opened. Oboro went in. Shouyou had been betting it would be him. Utsuro wouldn’t knock.

Oboro stood for a moment paralysed. Walking onto at half-naked Takasugi in Shouyou’s hands wasn’t what he expected. But he soon moved to them. For some reason, he never questioned what was happening around him.

“We have to help him relax,” Shouyou threw to him and turned Takasugi's body to him. “First, help me undress him.”

Oboro hesitantly moved to it. He unbuttoned Takasugi's trousers. Pulled them and boxers under them to his shoes. He kneeled on one knee to get them off.

“Since you're there...”

Oboro took Takasugi's foot in his hands. He was skilful in that. Shame he was too shy to put his abilities in use sooner.

Takasugi covert his mouth to stop a moan.

Oh. Shouyou didn’t expect it to go so easily. He took Takasugi’s hand away from his mouth before he clenched his teeth on it. He would only hurt himself. They didn’t want it to happen.

“Don’t hide it.”

And Takasugi stopped. He looked Shouyou in the eyes for the rest of the act.

* * *

“Shame I could come here and see it,” Utsuro sighed hearing what happened that day at the flower shop.

“We can always repeat it.”

“So why are you so angry?”

Was he? That perspective was explaining Shouyou's behaviour that day. He got mad seeing that his brother touched what was his. But... It never bothered him before nor Takasugi was anything he could claim to be his. At least that was what he thinking. His feelings took the other way of interpreting what was happening around him.

“You put your hands on him.” Shouyou glared at him.

“Happens.”

“Stay away.”

"Jealous, huh?” Utsuro walked closer to him. “That's rare to see on you, brother. How does it feel when someone lays hands on something you claim to own, huh? How does it feel?"

"Stop it."

“You were the one that let me feast on him in the first place. You brought him to me, you let him get close to me, you asked me to come that day… What are you worried about, Shouyou? Don’t want yet again gold-hearted boy turn into our plaything? Then you should have taken his feelings seriously before playing him.”

“I’m not playing him.”

“Are you sure?”

* * *

That talk with Utsuro stayed on his mind. Maybe… maybe that was what was wrong in this whole situation. So what Shouyou should do about it?

He shouldn't have started this disaster in the first place. He was ruining everything. Each relationship in his life. And on top of it, he felt that... That was the stupidest in of him, but he felt that with Utsuro let in, this disaster which was his relations was coming in a more controlled way.

He shouldn't have started cause no he had no idea how to end it.

“Shouyou…” faint, the shy voice took him out of his thoughts.

Oboro.

Shouyou smiled at him. “You came for flowers, right?” It was a time for changing the arrangement in the coffee shop. It was too much work even for two people. Usually, Shouyou asked Gintoki to stay overtime for some extra pay, but he had forgotten this time about it. Too much was happening around.

But maybe…

Maybe Takasugi had time? No. Shouyou needed to rethink that one relationship in his life.

Two people should be enough to take care of everything. If not, he would kick Utsuro’s ass to help them.

Shouyou tried to throw himself into the repetitive physical aspect of his work, but his mind couldn't help but to circuit to his other disaster. Takasugi wasn't the first person to tangled up in everything. Oboro wasn't first either, but the odd thing about him was that he stayed and didn't seem to leave anytime soon. The strangeness of this situation written into their lives, so it was mostly moving through it unnoticed. Oboro got stuck somewhere between being someone close and a stranger, between both of the brothers, And that was making Shouyou guilty as much as sometimes curious. Cause how would their life look like if Utsuro didn't get involved? Would Shouyou dare to reach to him since he had known for long about his feelings?

And would it work for longer than average few weeks of the relationship? He had already fit in this craziness so well. He never made Shouyou felt like sinking. Neither like there was some grave decision that might have consequences later on. Shouyou could any day just walk away. No one would stop him. Oboro probably wouldn’t be even trying to ask why he was left behind.

Which sounded so cruel that Shouyou could find comfort in it.

Yet, it painted such a peaceful dream. No consequences, no harm, no questions. Bliss. And Shouyou was letting sometimes dream this dream-like that day.

When they were finishing, Oboro came back with him to the flower shop. Maybe he only wanted to make sure everything was done or maybe it was just because he wasn't discharged yet.

Shouyou took one of the cut flowers and tucked in behind Oboro’s ear. “They look nice on you.”

Oboro lowered his gaze and blushed. He was a good, honest kid.

 _You made him your plaything,_ Utsuro used to say.

Shut up.

Shouyou didn't need to remind himself how awful a person he was. He wanted for a moment not to think about it. To dream that there wasn't something broken in him. That he could be with someone and gave that person love.

He kissed Oboro. Tenderly. Naturally. In this dream scenario, let's say Oboro came to pick him after work. After missing each other for a whole day their kisses moved a bit further than intended, woke some ache in them, so Shouyou pulled him to the staff room. It wasn't hurried need-fulled movement. No. It was tender and slow like a lovers' talk when they stop seeing the world around.

Around them was hanging the smell of flowers. At some point, the rain started to knock on the window repeating their perfect pace.

It was a very beautiful _dream_.

“Do you like him?” Oboro asked afterwards while getting dressed. That caught Shouyou off guard, he didn't even know who he meant. “That man working next to you?”

Oh. He meant Takasugi.

 _Like_. Did this word exist in Shouyou’s world? It was only some indulgence he let himself for. That was all… His eyes caught on the cardboard that used to be only used for pinning up orders. Now it was slowly filling with Takasugi’s drawings of flowers. If he was proud of something he was leaving it here.

The other type of drawings Shouyou was hiding in his desk.

That alone was telling how their relationship went further than he intended.

“I don’t judge you,” Oboro spoke when he didn't hear any answer. “I only wanted to ask… out of curiosity.”

“I like him.” How eerie that was sounding in Shouyou's lips. “He’s a nice person. Talented, intelligent. It’s always a pleasure to spend some time with him.” Did that answer suffice? Probably didn't. But Oboro didn't press on him. He never did. That made the silence that fell on them after these words even louder and it was chanting how Shouyou was a liar. He couldn't even before himself admit what he was feeling.

"Oboro… Are you worried about me?" Shouyou asked to break haunting silence.

He needed a moment to finally nod.

"Why?"

"I'm always worried about you."

_There is always something that could go wrong, isn't it?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was awfully struggling with this chapter, hope it doesn't feel too forced. I don't ship ShouObo, so that was also an issue for me. Let me know how it turns out either by commenting or on twitter (@AkikoKitsune), you can be mean to me.


	6. Utsuro POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou might have complained, but in the end, he shared his newest admire with Utsuro which might have lead to some unpredictable results.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, there is something that is highly triggering for me if I'm a reader so I'm setting thousands of warnings around it, even if it's only a short fragment about it, so:
> 
> TW: underage sex (featuring 8 years old), child abuse (especially sexual), forced prostitution
> 
> In the endnotes, there is a very brief summary, so don't worry about skipping it

Twins are always teasing each other over who is older, by how many minutes… Shouyou and Utsuro didn’t know which one of them was older. It had to be Shouyou, it seemed like it. He was more responsible, reliable, mature. Utsuro was rather rebellious and untamed. Classical first child and second child traits respectively.

Maybe also that Utsuro was always reaching towards everything Shouyou had was brotherly trait? Who knew? At least Shouyou was good at sharing. Utsuro wouldn’t go for something like that so easily, but he also never reach for anything by himself. Whole world repulsed him unless he was taking it through his brother.

Everything about them was fucked up in some way.

In the end, Shouyou let him share also his newest golden boy. It was more dangerous play than usual. But it had its upsides. In their lives things rarely felt nice, so Utsuro wanted to use it as long as it lasted.

And that in big part was a reason why he ended up in Takasugi's apartment. It wasn't a first time for them either.

"I missed it," Takasugi moaned when he seated on Utsuro's cock.

"Shouyou doesn't give you such treatment?"

"He doesn't do house visits like you." He slid his hand over his body. He hummed feeling the muscles.

Utsuro smirked. Takasugi never tried to hide how much he liked his body. Some people would see that as plain or insulting, but they were just idiots. It was better to set the game straight, not lie and try to play each other into something else than they agreed to. Utsuro didn't mind some mind-games, Takasugi wasn't saving him that either, but at the end of the day it was better to drop the act and relax.

Takasugi liked his body, he liked how he was in bed, he loved his brother. Everything clear and easy.

"How are you going through it?" Utsuro teased.

"I'm creative, have some toys. I know to kill boredom."

Smartass. Utsuro raised to get closer to him. “Show me.”

“Give me a sec,” he smirked and moved his hips. He was hungry for it.

Utsuro held him. He like his appearance as well. It grew on him after some time. It was different than what he used to reach for, but it was interesting to keep in his arms something that seemed small but was at the same time deadly. Utsuro could easily overpower him, shoved him into bed and force his way. He could, but it felt like Takasugi would still find some way to get away from him or to at least make that impossibly hard to do.

Maybe he did find someone who could match him...

Takasugi finished them both soon. He was a skilled bastard, but at least without any good stamina. Over one time, he was melting into a puddle and let his partner took more control over. He was also getting lazy then. Like now, he only rolled onto the sheets and nuzzled into pillows.

“Promises don't count here?” Utsuro taunted him.

Takasugi opened only one eye and glared at him. He let go after a moment and lazily rolled to the side of the bed. He reached to the drawer and opened it widely, so Utsuro could take a good look of its content. He had a few vibrators of various sizes, dildo, gag, rope.

"You're quite a naughty boy, ha? You would prefer Shouyou not to see this side of you, wouldn't you?"

"Why not?" He rolled on his back to look Utsuro in the face. "Maybe I would take to the surface his more playful side? Only that you haven't succeeded it doesn’t mean it can't be done."

“Don't start,” but he smiled. Utsuro would love to see Takasugi try and fail. And if he succeeded, he would be even worse pain in the ass, but the effect could be interesting. More playful Shouyou, huh?

“Or what?” Takasugi teased back.

“We have some options,” he reached to the drawer and took the biggest vibrator. “You were supposed to show me, weren't you?” He pointed the toy in Takasugi's direction.

“Now? You don't have enough imagination to...” Before he ended, Utsuro grabbed his hips and pulled closer. “Really?” Takasugi raised an eyebrow seeing through his intention.

“I wanted to help to persuade you a bit.”

Takasugi sighed. He took the vibrator. He stretched himself with fingers, though he was still loose and filled with Utsuro's cum. He pushed the toy in. He took a breath in when it was there. Time for a show. He turned the vibrator on and moved it in and out himself as Utsuro watched. He did that. And he was very into it.

It didn't take long as Utsuro realised that Takasugi was avoiding looking at his face. He hungrily observed whole his body apart from his face. He was never shy before. No. He was the shameless man, Utsuro knew. Why now... Oh.

Utsuro leaned to him and caressed his face. "You want it? The impression that my brother is fucking you?"

"Yes," Takasugi moaned.

“And each time you play, you're thinking about him?”

“Yes.” His expression turned weirdly peaceful.

Utsuro bit his lip. He felt as the blood rushed in him. Good. He could soon use it into some motion.

He pulled the vibrator out and shoved in his cock erected from watching Takasugi. That brought a bit of ease. Not for long. Takasugi was still keeping that peaceful expression. His thoughts were still away from there. And no matter how hard Utsuro fucked him, how deep he would dig his nails into, how strong he would bite onto him, he couldn't make him completely his. He should have been aware of that. Once someone laid their eyes on Shouyou and that person was lost. He got used to it. So why now he was wanting it to be different.

"He ruined you," Utsuro said lighting a cigarette after sex. Whatever to push his own attention from himself.

Takasugi was too tired to move. "I was broken from the start so I don't mind.”

“But would he pay any attention to you if you're like that?”

“He's keeping up with you somehow, so he has a good tolerance for trash.”

“Brat,” Utsuro murmured. "But at least you let me smoke. I'm sick of Shouyou's constant nagging."

"You are not. You keep teasing him to nag you more." Takasugi took his cigaret and took a drag.

"You still prefer my brother?" And again. Whatever to push attention away from him.

"If your brother has a lower stamina, I'll maybe start reconsidering my stands."

"Smartass." Utsuro took his cigarette back.

“I think I start liking you too,” Takasugi spoke. Utsuro looked at him puzzled. “What? Can't I like both of you?”

What could he do? Only try to hide behind some insults and filthy words. But his mind had now worked on too many things at some time and didn't come up with any good come back.

“And Oboro?” he tried to ridicule it.

“And him,” Takasugi didn't hesitate for a moment. “What? Does it make me a slut? Three is fun, but four is a crowd?”

Utsuro didn't answer.

* * *

Next time he brought Oboro with him. To... He needed to ease a bit that weird feeling that grew from their last time. There was no place for feelings in this game. No one would want that to happen.

When they came here for one thing, so they moved straight to the bedroom. Utsuro ordered Oboro to strip there. Takasugi watched him carefully. Was it the first time he saw him bare? Or maybe that time with Shouyou involved, he didn't dare to stare too much at Oboro's scars? It was a quite attention-grabbing sight. The first time Utsuro saw them, he burst into laughter. There was nothing that could hide all these ugly scars, Oboro was fucked for his whole life.

Takasugi didn’t seem like he was going to laugh. He ran his fingers along with Oboro’s scars. Carefully.

“What's going on your mind?” Utsuro asked.

Takasugi smirked and looked at him. “I'm happy that we're at my place... For how long can you take care of yourself without bothering everyone around?”

Curiosity won over self-preservation instinct. “Make it quick or I set your apartment on fire.”

“I don't like it either way.” He turned his attention to Oboro. “You can tell me to fuck off anytime.” He moved to get what he needed only when he got from him a nod in agreement.

He brought paints. He showed Oboro to sat with him on the bed.

“They are made to paint on skin, so they shouldn't cause any irritation,” Takasugi explained. “Sometimes I need to try out how something might look on the skin, choose the right size, or just practise, so...” He started painting on Oboro. At first impulse, he tensed, but when he was starting to see in what direction it was going, he began to relax. He was in good hands. Takasugi was making his skin look beautiful with various floral motives, hiding his scars away.

Utsuro got bored. He turned to explore better Takasugi's drawer with toys, but it didn't hide any more secrets than it could be seen at first glance. Boring. He looked through other drawers. No one paid attention. He didn't find anything there either way. He stood up and went around the apartment. Nothing interesting.

He ended up watching how Takasugi painted. How calm and focused he was during it. Observing him wasn't boring. Only... It wasn't something Utsuro wanted to let himself fall in. There was nothing else to do. Maybe if no one was paying attention to what he was doing, he could let himself to study Takasugi more.

When he finally finished, Oboro dared to move. It seemed almost as he finally dared to breathe. Oboro traced his fingers along with the painting. He couldn't believe how anything about his skin could ever be called beautiful.

“Not too bad for a quick thing,” Takasugi concluded.

“That you call quick?” Utsuro groaned.

“Believe me, I could have made it take longer.”

Utsuro's eye narrowed. “What are you planning?”

“Torment you,” Takasugi said freely with a smirk. He reached over the bed for something in his drawer. “And I want to teach Oboro a trick.”

Utsuro watched him carefully. People were acting very predictably. A bit of practice and it could be see-through. But now, no matter how rich was his experience, Utsuro couldn't understand Takasugi's. That was bothering him. Soon he noticed a rope in his hand. Okay, now, he was getting an idea where that was going.

“And you need me to bind for it?” Utsuro asked. Cause there would be not fun in binding Oboro.

“That's the bonus.”

“You’re asking for death.”

“You’re so afraid to admit that you’re curious?” Takasugi teased back.

That Utsuro hated the most. The kid was smart. Utsuro wanted to see where it would go, but he had one, probably stupid sounding request. “Cover the mirror.”

“'kay.” Takasugi didn't question it. He stood up. He took a blanket from a nearby chair that used mostly as a laundry basket. He needed to step on the tip of his toes to hang it on the wardrobe door, but he managed to do it. Then he looked back at Utsuro. “Anything more?”

“It's enough.”

Takasugi came to him. He sat on the bed. He was rather a small frame, so he seemed so harmless when he was getting closer to Utsuro. He took the rope and quickly bind his hands, arms to his back. He made a few additional binds, probably only to make it look better. Whatever.

Takasugi then took the lube and stretched Utsuro. He slept regularly with Shouyou, so being put in such position didn't bother him too much.

Oboro at first couldn't get what Takasigi had on his mind. Utsuro was seeing it written all over his face. He was lost, but as always he obeyed and followed someone's hands. But the more it started to occur what it was all going to be, the more reluctance his body made against Takasugi.

Oboro never topped. Utsuro knew that well. He never wanted to. He wasn't best at doing something where there wouldn't be anyone guiding him and Utsuro didn't have time to babysit him throw. But if that was Takasugi was into...

Oboro entered Utsuro. So far it wasn't bad.

* * *

Oboro fell asleep first. He had been through a lot with both Utsuro and Takasugi taking turns. How much time did it take? They started pretty early in the evening so there still should be some night to use.

Utsuro's fingertips traced over Takasugi's painting on Oboro's body once more. "You had a good idea with that. You gave him some confidence."

"You have to be on your guard or I'll take him from you and turn him into punk like me."

Utsuro chuckled. Maybe he wouldn't even mind that. How weirdly it felt. He wasn't known from sharing before. Things change apparently and even he could not stop it from happening. Maybe it was time to come to terms with some issues...

Maybe some other night.

Utsuro got up from the bed and took his clothes from the floor.

"You're going?" Takasugi murmured. “How cold of you.”

“I have someone needy waiting up for me.”

Takasugi hummed in understanding. He watched as Utsuro was dressing up. Something was bothering him, Utsuro just didn't get out soon enough to avoid hearing about it.

“I have one question,” Takasugi started.

 _One?_ There soon would be thousands of them. Utsuro knew he would probably regret saying that but he spoke: “Okay, what is that?”

"Did Shouyou kill someone?"

Utsuro laughed "How did you get that idea?"

"I know how to spot people who look like that."

"Part of the work, huh?"

"Part of the work."

The brat was smart. But this time it was better if he didn't stick his fingers into it.

"Old times. Don't bother about it."

* * *

When Utsuro was walking back home he thought about the past. First time in a long time he thought about their mother...

* * *

[warning, sensitive content, you might skip it and read a brief summary in the end notes]

She was mix blood that gave her blond hair and unusual beauty, but she would give that away if she could. That brought only the misfortune on her. She couldn’t keep any job because of it. He ended up being a prostitute. Once she got pregnant and didn’t manage to get rid of the twins. Life was fucking her harder than any man she knew.

She never tried being a good mother. She never wanted to be.

After a few years, money was running short. She ruined herself to the point when no one wanted her. She, or maybe one of her last clients gave her that idea, started to sell her sons. They were eight at the time. Not knowing what was done to them, but they learnt it quickly.

When they had clients she was going out for a smoke or a small walk.

Since boys were identical she could sell them interchangeably. In practice, she rarely sold Utsuro. Only if she didn’t like some client or when the client wanted someone feisty. Shouyou, on the other hand, he was easier to tame and always an adult-pleaser.

There was one night with an awful storm. Utsuro used to fear them then, so he hid in the closet. Mother brought some client and since she couldn't found him, so she just took Shouyou no matter what her first idea was. She left him and went for a long walk. Utsuro heard how much the man had paid. Whole night.

Shouyou handled it badly. His expression was dull. Something broke in him. His body went limp. The man who bought him didn't even realise, he only let him go when he filled his urge.

Shouyou murmured something about going to the toilet as he stood up shakily. The man let him. Maybe was too tired to stop him. He could always cut his payment if he wasn't satisfied.

Shouyou soon came back.

With a knife and stabbed repeatedly that man.

Utsuro somehow dared to get out of the closet to his brother.

“I’ve made a mess,” Shouyou mumbled. Mother was always screaming at them to clean after themselves.

Utsuro reached his hand and tenderly took a knife from him. "It's okay. I’ll clean it up.” By it, he meant only dropping the weapon on the ground and taking Shouyou away from that place.

They never came back.

In the horror of that day, it was good they were that young when it happened. No one wants to deal with such horrible crimes committed by minors. How to even punish it. So it mostly silenced out. They had no idea how that case ended. It either stayed unsolved or their mother got sentenced.

They had more important things to do. They had to learn how to survive on the streets, in the new world they ran out to. Like it turned out Utsuro was pretty good at stealing. Both of them got experience in pleasing man. And if needed Shouyou worked perfectly playing that sweet angel, it helped them to spend some colder night at someone's home and even get some warm food than squatting in abandoned building feeding on cold convenience store food stole by Utsuro.

And in the end, they went this far, who would have known.

* * *

[end of sensitive content]

The door to the bedroom was closed. Shouyou probably went to sleep. Utsuro stayed for a bit to wander around their apartment. He wouldn’t fall asleep anytime soon either way. Too many thoughts and memories were hanging around his head. Luckily the next day was Sunday, cause this time even Oboro probably wouldn't cover up for him and coffee shop would stay close without any reason.

He took Shouyou's phone to kill time. Because of that his new friend, lately, he rarely left it aside. Utsuro sometimes skimmed through their messages. Mostly nothing interesting. This time the first one that reached his eyes brought too much information:

_Everything comes to an end. If I can ask you for it, please don’t come to the flower shop again._

Ruthless. That was the Shouyou Utsuro knew well. But… He was so fond of that brat. What happened?

It was from yesterday, so the time Utsuro was with Takasugi he had to know about it. He didn’t let it show on him.

_Did you ask him directly about that?_

No. He wasn't stupid. Whatever happened, it had to be Shouyou's fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief summary: Utsuro recalls how hos and Shouyou's mom was forcing them to prostitution, one-night Shouyou broke and killed his client, they ran away from home then and were on their own since then.


	7. Oboro POV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that's a pretty long chapter and 90% of it is just TakaObo, so I'm proud of it

"I didn't expect you," Takasugi said, but he let Oboro in without any reluctance.

"I…"

"We can assume you were just in the neighbourhood if you don't want to explain."

"I was just in the neighbourhood," Oboro repeated.

He followed Takasugi without knowing where. He was in his apartment once but he didn't pay much attention to his surroundings then. Also, Utsuro’s presence weighed down everything around. Oboro kept his gaze low as if he feared any other behaviour would be mocked. It probably would be.

Now, Takasugi turned his backs to him, so Oboro could raise his head without being judged. The apartment was small and plain. A bit messy and if only its owner was more of the hoarder it would be flooded by things never put in the right place. Also, that small amount of personal belongings made Oboro think Takasugi had moved in recently. He noticed even one carton box left unpacked.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Takasugi asked turning back to him and just strolling into his apartment.

"If I may, green tea."

"I should have some."

Oboro smiled and walked after him. Utsuro so often laughed that he acted like a stray dog, so obedient and attached to everyone around. There were just situations when he had no idea how to act. The least he could do was to stay low, stay friendly, try not to stick out.

Takasugi hummed some melody Oboro didn’t know while making the tea. It eased the uncomfortable silence that was always happening in moments like that. Oboro could close his eyes for a moment and relax. When the humming stopped, the tea was ready, only for him which made his shoulders stiff again. He didn’t want to make too much trouble. Why did he even come here? He should leave. He should…

Takasugi gave him the cup and said, “Let’s have a sit.”

Oboro nodded and walked to the couch that was used rather like a wardrobe than a place for any person to sit.

“There’s anything you wanted to talk about?” Takasugi asked casually.

"About… _that night_..."

"What about it?" Takasugi took a cigarette out. "Can I?" he asked before lightening it. Oboro nodded. Because of Utsuro, he got used to them.

“I had thought about what you said in the morning...” That one event couldn't get out of Oboro's mind. The night when Takasugi managed to cover all his scars and made it into something beautiful. And the morning when he woke up and there was nothing left from that dream as it was all washed off his skin in the night. But Takasugi said then that... That it didn't have to be just a dream. That it could last. “Were you sure that… That something can be done?”

“Do you want me to take another look at them?” Takasugi asked neutrally.

“Yes.” He wanted to make sure if something was really before jumping into it. He felt as if his heart would crush if he found out there was nothing underneath him and he let himself get deceived once again. It would not survive something like that.

“Is there any you want the most to cover?”

Takasugi had asked him about it before. Oboro tried to think about it. Probably the one on his face but nothing could cover it. Apart from that. “Maybe somewhere visible.”

Takasugi hummed something in understanding and moved closer.

Oboro put down on the floor his cup. He thought about taking his shirt off, but Takasugi’s hands found their way on him already. They started their way from his neck. And even Takasugi tried to do it as professional and neutral, he could help but smirk and tease him. His fingers traced Oboro's skin until it would some recent mark, only some redness that hadn't faded yet. He smiled and looked at him. Oboro blushed. "It's…"

"Oh, I know. There are some on the back of your neck too, but I suppose you don't want it to be covered?" he teased.

"No. They… They'll soon fade."

"And the new will show up?"

"Probably."

Takasugi moved his hands along Oboro’s arms. His touch was so attentive, his gaze focused. Oboro couldn’t help but tremble.

"I can start with something small,” Takasugi spoke. His voice was quite tender. “Like the ones on your forearm.” He moved his fingers around it and then let go of him. “I'll make a sketch and let you know."

"Okay.” Was that all? Oboro was a bit lost. Takasugi didn’t indicate in any way that he should leave, but there was nothing more to discuss, at least so it seemed.

“You can stay overnight.”

Oh.

“I don’t want to trouble you...”

“You won’t if you want to stay. But we can pretend I didn’t say anything if you don’t.”

Oboro moved closer. “I’ll… I’ll stay.”

“And what do you want from me?” Takasugi teased.

They’d already spent with each other a few times, so there was no mean in playing innocent. Oboro swallowed harshly but dared to reach his hands to him. He wanted to repay him for all that tenderness. For not throwing him out right away. Maybe he would soon do it. Probably. Oboro was no good at anything.

His hands trembled. “I’m bad at this,” Oboro said.

"Only nervous,” Takasugi coed changing a bit their position, pulling Oboro closer.” Relax. It isn't the first time we're doing it."

"But it's first when we're alone."

“That’s the good part.” He moved his hand into Oboro’s hair. “You can do what you like.”

“I… I don’t know…”

“Then we can try to find it out,” he murmured kissing him. “How is kissing?” he asked.

“Good.” Oboro barely managed to reach the voice out of himself.

“Would you like it harsher? Deeper? Tenderer?” And he moved to show the last option. His lips were so soft. They lingered on his. Oboro felt he was melting. When Takasugi’s lips moved a bit back, he leaned into them without thinking. He wanted it to last. He gripped his hand on his shoulders. He felt Takasugi’s on his waist. They slowly worked their way under Oboro’s shirt. Now he should take it off. He rushed his hands to it. Takasugi’s soon cover his and walked them slowly. When he got the pace, he let him go. He didn’t try to tell him what to do. Only to slow down, be more present and conscious of each move.

Oboro didn’t look where he put his shirt down. Would he be able to find it later? He couldn’t focus on anything else that these kisses. He leaned on Takasugi and this time slowly moved his hands to his shirt. This time he didn’t need guidance.

He stopped himself from leaning back to kisses again. He put a hand on Takasugi’s chest to stop him from it too. He wanted to take a look at him. He saw him a few times, but he wanted to see him again. His hands soon got distracted by the tattoo on Takasugi’s side.

“See?” Takasugi smirked. “You are pretty good at it… Or do you need more convincing?”

Oboro nodded.

Takasugi shifted to get closer. He grabbed Oboro by his thighs to pulled him a bit closer. He kissed him again. Now his kisses were deeper. Taking all thoughts and air from Oboro. There stayed only one thing in his mind - an itch of excitement feeling at some point they would reach the _harsher_ part too.

One hand moved under Oboro’s head to keep him close. His fingers felt so good running through Oboro’s hair. His hand moved his head a bit to the side. To let the kisses flow down his neck.

Oboro’s breath hitched. His hands moved across Takasugi’s chest as if he wanted to grab on something before drawing. He felt him smiling against his skin.

“If you’re so eager, maybe we’ll move to the bed?”

Oboro blushed but nodded.

One more time Takasugi guided him. Under his touch, Oboro felt as if he didn’t have to worry about anything.

“Maybe…”

“What?” Takasugi moved a bit back to let him speak.

“Turn the light off?” he mumbled. He prayed Takasugi wouldn’t hear it or ignore it.

“‘kay,” he murmured. He placed a kiss on his forehead and got up.

It was bad. It was definitely bad. Did he make him angry? Maybe he shouldn’t be so demanding. Oh, how bad could he be in all this…?

“Sh…” Takasugi murmured lying to him. “I can already feel how nervous you’re getting. There is nothing bad happening.”

“Am I bad?”

“No.”

“Is it alright that the lights are off?”

“I don’t mind it.”

Oboro nodded. When Takasugi felt there were no more doubts to clear he moved down to kiss him. This time kisses were messy. They strayed from his lips. They went across his cheeks, his temple, his forehead, even his hair. And Oboro’s lips were straying all around Takasugi’s face. He was trying to get closer to him. To put his body closer to his. To feel him closer. To feel him. He was so warm and soft. Oboro wanted to melt completely into him.

Takasugi's kisses ran across Oboro’s chest. The lower they were getting, the slower they were moving down. Oboro didn't know what to do about it. He could only lie down and drown in this pleasure. When he hoped to finally reach the part he knew much better, Takasugi shifted and started his kisses once again. Now starting from Oboro's feet. Even slower and more attentive.

Oboro was whimpering under him.

When Takasugi finally decided to end this torture and he reached for the lube, Oboro stopped him.

“I… I’ll do it,” he proposed barely catching a breath.

“Show me how good you are for me,” Takasugi husked.

Oboro shivered. He took lube and reached nervously between his legs. Should he do it quickly? Utsuro was always impatient in those moments, Shouyou on the other had was attentive and taking a lot of time on it and when Oboro to avoid some of embarrassed did it himself, but if he didn’t give it enough care, it could result in it Shouyou correcting him. What was what Takasugi wanted? How Oboro was supposed to show him he was good? There was probably nothing good in him. How to keep him from noticing that? Should he? Should he trick him like that?

He slowly relaxed as he worked his fingers in. He opened his legs more than it was needed. Was it good? He moved his fingers and let resound in the empty room how wet he made himself for Takasugi. He moaned. Oh, he needed him here. He couldn’t quite reach the spot that would make everything better.

With eyes accustomed to the darkness, he looked for Takasugi. He was right next to him. Stroking off his cock. He was leaking. So the show was good. Oboro made a good job.

“I want you…”

“I know,” he breathed out. He reached to put a condom on and moved between Oboro’s legs. He entered slowly. So slowly. Oboro wanted to hurry him up. He needed him.

He moved. Again slowly.

Oboro moved his hips. “Hurry. I need you,” he gasped his face turning all red. “F-faster. It… It’ll be okay…”

“If that’s what you want.” He kissed him tenderly. He moved back and slammed his hips against Oboro’s.

“Oh, yes, like… that,” he moaned.

And now came the _harsher_ kisses. Oboro couldn’t catch a breath, but he felt like he didn’t need it. He only wanted Takasugi’s lips on him. He wanted him even harsher. Ravishing him. So he tried to… provoke him. First with his movements. He tried reaching for more and more. But it still wasn't quite what he needed. So he tried to voice it. Murmured something. His words were becoming then louder, filthier.

Maybe it was Takasugi who was provoking here. He held back a bit, he kept slowing down. He was forcing Oboro to take action. To chose what he wanted to be done to him. And Oboro fell into his trap. He didn't mind it. It felt good.  
  
When they laid down catching breaths after reaching climax, Oboro shifted to his ear and bit it. It felt so silly right after he did it. He even heard Takasugi chuckling. Why had he done that…?

Takasugi bit his neck. He sucked in creating a new mark. It was going to last for a few days. Utsuro wouldn’t be happy. But to hell with him.

Oboro pulled Takasugi closer and marked him to. Something stirred in him and prone to do it. He would never dare otherwise. It was like he was getting possessed. Their hands and lips again strayed everywhere around, but their moves were more confident, stronger, harsher. Kisses were turning into teeth dragging against the skin, touches into scratches and digging their nails in.

Oboro turned them around. Takasugi looked at him a bit surprised, but a smile on his face was telling he had nothing against it. Oboro moved his hands along his body. He saw the marks he made himself. What had happened to him to scratch someone so awfully? What was happening to him?

He wanted more of this madness.

Oboro moved on Takasugi’s cock. Their regained strength for one more round. Usually, Oboro didn’t like this position. Utsuro used it to many time to look at him and mark each flaw of his body, each weird expression he made. The memory of it made him insecure.

“You’re so good,” he heard Takasugi gasp. “You’re so fucking good at it.” Oboro moved up and down. “So good.” Takasugi reached his hands to him. He couldn’t stop touching him. “You look good now, you know. Shame such a hot guy covers himself with so many clothes.” Oboro moved faster. “I want to strip you more often. Just to look at you sometimes. Fuck anyone who thoughts otherwise. Will you let me see you more often? I…”

Oboro covered his mouth. He… If he heard anything more about it, he melted completely. His hips rode Takasugi almost on their own now. He was overcome by this mindless craving for pleasure. He kept going through his climax. He came all over Takasugi's chest. That was messy. They both needed to clean themselves after all that...

Takasugi pulled him down to lie next to him and nuzzled into him. “Why is it always so tiring?” he murmured.

Oboro chuckled and kissed his forehead. “It’s late, that’s why.”

“Probably… I won’t let you go even if you want to,” he mumbled almost half-asleep.

“I don’t want to go anywhere.”

“Good.” His arms locked on Oboro. He really wouldn’t let him go.

It felt good.

* * *

Oboro woke up first. He needed to take a shower. That was his first thought. The second was how the fabric of the sheets felt good on his bare skin. Third… How pretty Takasugi looked in his sleep. He always was so intimidating, looking down on everyone else, standing against even Utsuro. And now… He was so small and vulnerable. He was still embracing Oboro though because of the sleep his grip loosened. He looked so sweet. Like a sleeping angel.

Oboro slowly stood up not to wake him up. He checked the hour. It was still early, but he could use some time. He took a shower, got dressed in yesterday clothes and moved to the kitchen. Last night was something incredible. If Oboro could at least thank Takasugi in any way, he was more than willing to.

He soon realised his initial plan was deemed to fail.

Oboro came back to the bedroom.

“How do you get up in the mornings?” Takasugi grunted.

“Habit, willpower, coffee.”

“The last one seems believable. Maybe there is still some...”

“No. You ran out of coffee. I… I looked around your kitchen a bit.”

“Why?”

“I… I wanted to make you breakfast.”

Takasugi finally forced himself to open his eyes and looked at him. “Did I got hit in the head forgot being married to you?”

Oboro chuckled. “I just can’t learn how to just get up from the bed and go.”

“You aren’t doing anything wrong so… Sorry for the breakfast, I usually take out something or skip. Mostly skip.”

“It isn’t healthy.”

“What can I say, I’m the type of guy who gets up and goes, nothing in my life is healthy.”

“I might have a problem with imagining you getting up.”

Takasugi narrowed his eyes. He sat on the bed and leaned to Oboro. “Playing so innocent that nothing can taint and yet, someone’s here learning how to sharpen its tongue.”

“We both have work today.” He knew where this kind of talking was going.

“I can woo your boss if you want?”

“We can drop by the coffee shop and I’ll treat you something.”

“Okay.”

* * *

It was still long before the opening, so there was no sight of Utsuro in the coffee shop. He was getting in last moment knowing Oboro would take care of everything. This time he would take care of everything. Maybe Utsuro wouldn't even notice they had a guest in the morning.

And speaking of which, Oboro turned to Takasugi: “You always take a cappuccino, but maybe I can make you something else. On the firm.”

“I don’t know anything about these things. I take something with caffeine in it. That’s all.”

Last night was still affecting them, cause Oboro dared to propose making something more interesting and Takasugi without any reluctance let him do it. They spent some time talking about favourite flavours and trying various things. Oboro was never so talkative and out-going. It just wasn’t that hard with Takasugi. He listened well and a lot of time was able to pick up things that were left unsaid.

If only whole life could be like this...

Oboro handed over Takasugi personalised coffee and watched him as he tried it.

“And? How is it?” he asked not bearing well the stress.

Takasugi smiled. “Can you make me it each morning for the rest of my life?”

Oboro blushed and laughed.

"You were also saying something about breakfast," Takasugi coaxed.

"Can I make you a sandwich?"

"Sure."

This took less time to decided what ingredients Oboro should use. He made one for himself too.

"Can I..." Oboro started. Maybe this loose atmosphere between him and Takasugi was giving him too much confidence.

"Ask about something?"

Oboro nodded.

"You can. I don't have to answer if it's something I don't want to talk about."

“There was a carton box at your apartment... It somehow caught my attention...”

“Ah, that... It's a more complicated case.” Takasugi looked aside. “When do you open?”

Oboro checked an hour. “In more than an hour.”

“Awfully lot of time. You could have gone home, not...”

“I wanted to stay with you.”

He surprised Takasugi with it. Was it so weird? Maybe he should have said that. Cover himself with some excuse that he felt too lazy to go home.

Takasugi chuckled. "Then I should answer your curiosity. As payback for breakfast."

Oboro in first instinct wanted to refuse. Takasugi didn't need to do anything in return. He was already doing too much. Being too good. But as Takasugi had said - if he didn't want to speak about it, he wouldn't.

“I'll tell you a secret – I was never in love before.” Takasugi didn't need to clarify what _before_ meant. Their lives could be divided only in one way: before and after meeting Shouyou. "I slept around, got into various dynamics with people, but I never fell in love. There was a guy once. I crashed at his place after running away from home. Sticking together felt good. He taught me everything I know about tattoos. He even made mine. After some time I noticed something was not quite right. He loved me. I couldn't give him anything back. I even thought 'I'm almost twenty and I've never loved anyone, what if I would never... So stupid. Well, technically I was still a teen that time, so I had a right to be stupid..."

“Your tattoo reminds you that?"

“Maybe it's like your scars... As we wear them, we live on, get used to, forget. Only sometimes it resurfaces. There was a time when I started believing that 'I never fall in love' or some shit. I don't mind being alone, but... I like sleeping with people. So... I wanted to have someone, but I could not live them back, pretty heartless and awful situation. But I was wrong. It turns out I can fall in love. Other things turned out shitty this time. Imperfections are what making life interesting, but they are also something that makes it all painful...”

Oboro watched him carefully trying to fill the holes in his story. “Did something happen? With between you and Shouyou?”

“Our paths grew apart,” he said with emotionless voice. “Thanks for the coffee.” He left the cup on the counter.

“Wait. We’ll you be still… coming around?”

“... Yeah.”

But Oboro was doubting in that.

Maybe nothing bad would happen. Maybe he would reconcile with Shouyou and everything would go back to what it was late.

* * *

Utsuro noticed a new mark on Oboro’s body. He taught him what his place was after work.

“So... That brat dared to let his hands on you without letting me know, huh?” he asked running his hand through Oboro’s hair. “How is he?” Utsuro asked surprisingly.

“He's alright... He seemed a bit troubled in the morning,” Oboro added remembering his odd behaviour when he was leaving.

“Huh. Either he’s playing it well or it wasn’t big deal...” Oboro wanted to ask what was happening, but Utsuro cut off the subject. “You don’t have to worry about anything.”

* * *

"He left a whole coffee shop for you?"

Oboro felt as something heavy was taken off his shoulders. Takasugi did come here again. "Utsuro took a day off."

"He doesn't care about making this business going, does he?"

"You were afraid of bumping into him?"

"Not quite that... Rather, we're kind of avoiding each other now. It wasn't my idea, it just happened... He knows, right?"

"He does."

"I thought so..." Takasugi sighed. "He didn't like me getting closer to his brother, then he liked that and used that, then he didn't like that again and now... I don't know. Maybe he started liking me too much to make me face someone looking like a guy who dumped me..."

"What?"

“Shouyou... He messaged me to keep away from him. So what could I do?

Oboro didn't know the answer either. "I'm worried about them..."

Takasugi glanced at him. "Utsuro and Shouyou? They will be okay."

He didn't notice the flower shop was closed two days in the row?

Maybe Oboro was worrying too much.

* * *

Takasugi came again that day. Oboro was closing for the day, but he let them in without any reluctance. Something seemed to happened.

“I need a bit of your help,” Takasugi said and handed Oboro his phone. The screened showed a message:

_Little shit, get your ass here. Utsuro_

“I need someone who knows their address."

* * *

Utsuro opened the door from them. "I told you to come over, not to bring whole crew with you," he grunted.

"Then you could tell me the address."

"Didn't know you need someone to lead you by a hand."

"You would have to know if you moved your ass to me." Takasugi let himself in. Oboro shyly followed. Utsuro didn't push him out, so he got temporary permission to be here. He didn't feel good in places where he wasn't welcomed, so he kept standing as close as he could to Takasugi.

"What's happening?" Oboro dared to ask.

"The usual."

"What _usual_?" Takasugi snapped. "Cause in my eyes it's some fucking shitshow."

He shouldn't have let his voice raise.

They had footsteps. They should have set everything straight before this, but life never pauses to let you clear the rules of the game.

"I probably should answer it, right?" Shouyou leaned on the wall. He looked tired. At the same time like he had slept too much and not enough. He pushed his hair back, so he looked identically to his brother.

But should he do anything? He didn't seem to be in the best place right now. They should postpone it for some other day.

On the other day, he would probably brush it off and never speak about it.

Maybe it was better not to speak out loud. Why force something... Oboro was a coward in those matters and what he was always ending up with wasn't the healthiest solution mostly because he didn't dare to try to find a better one.

But as tension grew, Takasugi was standing up high with no intention of going anywhere.

“Maybe we'll leave you two, huh?” Utsuro proposed and looked at Oboro. He was unwelcomed here since the beginning, so he immediately nodded.

Oboro walked out with him. It was for the best. And he could trust Takasugi to make everything right again. He knew how to talk with people.

Shouyou would be alright.

Utsuro took out a cigarette and lightened it. He seemed stressed out.

“Are you alright?” Oboro asked.

“Me?” Utsuro looked at him. “I’m always treating you like shit, so why do you bother about me?”

“Maybe I like that. Sometimes.”

Utsuro puffed the smoke. “You’re fucked up at every part.”

He was right. But there were people needing that trash like him, people coming back to the trash like him, people liking the trash like him. So it was alright.

“You've never asked anyone before to come to help you.” Utsuro didn't say anything to it. Oboro continued: “He's special, right?”

"He's a stubborn brat. But maybe we need a bit of this stubbornness."

“Can he help him?”

“Miracles don’t exist.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll try to end the last remaining chapter as soon as I can, cause soon I will have less time to write and I'm pretty worn out by this story, but I hope you're still enjoying the story. I'm always open to getting comments, concrits and I practically live on Twitter, so you can find me there (@AkikoKitsune)


	8. Takasugi POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Takasugi untangle all the mess he created coming into Shouyou's life?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: Takasugi and Utsuro will talk a bit of Utsuro's and Shouyou's past and how it sometimes affects them/what triggers them, but nothing too graphically described.
> 
> And we're in the last chapter, I hope it was worth it (and that you don't hate me from throwing something sad/serious in a fic that was supposed to be rather a silly plotless thing).
> 
> Also, let's pretend that I didn't totally chicken out from writing foursome.

Shouyou told him their story. Only a summary of its horror. All laid out in the open. But not in an act of trust. No. It was only fatigue. Shouyou got too tired of keeping a perfect image, so if Takasugi got this close when he slipped, well, he knew where the doors were if he became too disgusted with what he'd seen.

“Oboro knows part of it," Shouyou continued. "Utsuro sometimes broke down during work." Before Takasugi would barely believe Utsuro could crack. But hearing out what happened... It was more unbelievable that it was so rare he had never witnessed it yet.

"I..." Shouyou hesitated. Speaking about yourself is always the hardest. "I can always repress anything, but when I come home and if I’m there alone... It can be ugly sometimes.”

 _Like now?_ Takasugi thought, but it was too naive to think that what he was facing now was the worst possible state. It was probably how the world looked after whatever bad was happening. Everything was quiet, lonesome, tired... It felt as if there were a hundred miles between them even though Takasugi could reach him in anytime.

Or maybe he couldn't. His hands felt heavy. Each move was given too much importance and possible threat.

He was overthinking it.

“Too tired," Shouyou sighed.

No wonder he was tired. He had too many nightmares to fight with.

“I can always just lie next to you."

“Would it be worth going all the way here?”

“I think it would be.”

Shouyou probably didn't believe him, but the only thing he could force his body to do was getting back to bed. Takasugi walked after him. If for nothing else, then just not to leave him alone. He laid down next to him. He reached his hand to him. He felt how Shouyou tensed. Takasugi retracted his hand. Only lying close was okay too.

Shouyou closed his eyes. He took a couple of breaths. They were steady and calm. Takasugi wouldn't know what to do if they weren't. After it, Shouyou opened his eyes. He watched him carefully. Like he wanted to decide whether it was a dream or reality.

"You've stayed..." Shouyou spoke like he still could believe that happened.

"I'm hard to get rid of."

“I was afraid that you find about... all of that... I don't think I could bear losing you like that."

"You won't. I'm going to be an awful pain in the ass."

Shouyou smiled softly. He shifted a bit closer to Takasugi. He caressed his cheek. Takasugi leaned into his touch. He missed him so badly during these few days. He felt like everything was really over. He prayed so many times for it to turn out not true. And this time someone listened.

"You won't just disappear when I fall asleep?" Shouyou murmured.

"I'll stay." Wasn't saying that meaningless? He moved closer and reach his arm around Shouyou to give him some reassurance.

Tiredness won quickly over Shouyou. Takasugi laid and watched over him. He had no idea what it would be from now on. But he was ready to do anything to stay here. To be good enough to stay here.

After some time Takasugi heard as someone entered the apartment. The steps were quiet and limited. That person knew where was going. To them. To the bed. While passing the window, this poor source of light let Takasugi recognised who that was. Utsuro.

Takasugi felt as he laid next to them. He embraced Shouyou from another side.

Would it all be okay from now on?

* * *

“I love him.”

“Ts, no, don't say that,” Utsuro stopped him. “Love is such a dirty word. People try to believe in its romanticise meaning, but they're still using it whenever it's convenient."

“Why does _he_ hate it?”

Utsuro took a drag of his cigaret. “Cause it’s dirty... You know our story more or less at this point... _They_ used to say it. These guys used to leave candies, but you can imagine we couldn’t swallow down if not forced. We would throw up afterwards either way.”

Utsuro watched him for a moment. Was he trying to check how Takasugi was dealing with hearing these stories? He didn't tell what was his verdict.

"Is there anything else I should know?" Takasugi asked. "About both of you?"

Utsuro stopped halfway while reaching for his cigarette. Was it that surprising Takasugi said _both_?

"Everyone has their way of dealing," Utsuro started slowly. "I'm self-destructive on a daily basis. Like when I see someone who reminds me of those days. I tried to hit on them, sleep with them... Or sometimes it hits too hard and it breaks me. My brother... He holds everything inside. Everything is perfect. Until bad days knocks him over. Sometimes it's worse cause something happens, sometimes he didn't need anything from the outside to fuck everything around himself. Though it isn't as bad as it used to be. Oboro always thinks lowly about himself, but he somehow helped him. Shouyou I knew was dull. That was his real bare self. Now it changes... And then you came around and changed everything. I don’t think I ever saw him laugh before I saw that drawing of yours... I figured it out before - either he would become more human or he would be mine.”

“And? What have you decide?”

“Turns out I don’t have a word to say about it. I can throw someone right under his feet. I can pull someone away. It doesn’t matter.”

* * *

His talk with Utsuro was important. Takasugi should stick to the set down rules, but... He was hesitating if he wanted to play it out his way, but miserably fail or to stretch a bit and have some chances. He didn't make up his mind until Shouyou came.

He stopped seeing Takasugi here. He didn't expect to meet him in his and Utsuro's apartment.

“They trapped me with you?” Shouyou asked with an only artificial smile.

“The door is open.”

“So?”

“They only gave me the speech of what I can and what I should say.”

“You are not going to listen,” Shouyou smiled softly.

“Hell no." Takasugi smiled and walked to Shouyou. It was ride or die. If they put on any act now, it would soon fade. And they wanted to last. "I know what I want to say. All I can ask for is for you to hear me out. Though you can always go, I won’t stop you.”

Shouyou stayed. More because of decency. Everything in him was telling right away, he wanted to escape.

“I love you. More than anyone ever, more than myself and I don’t think I will ever get over you. I can’t imagine how scary it may seem. Some stranger gets to you and is that much obsessed.”

“You aren’t a stranger.”

“I used to be. And I’m still obsessed.”

“After all you’ve heard?”

“I figured out some parts before we’ve talked.”

“And you wanted to get involved in all that?”

“Yes. I know there is a lot of things out of order, that it will only get harder, but I want to get involved. Not to _fix you._ I can’t even fix my own life. I just want to be by your side even when you will be struggling, maybe I could lend your shoulder to lean on, maybe I could hear you out, maybe there will be something for me to do. I... I didn’t have any expectation at the beginning. Nothing. I was okay with watching from afar, with knowing that you exist somewhere in this world. Of course, I reached for more when I saw a chance to, but I can step away if that would be what you want...”

“You knew what to say.” Shouyou chuckled and then went silent for a moment. “You don’t mind how complicated it all is?”

“I like complicated. As long as it is a place for me to complicate it even more.”

“You already did.”

“My talent.”

Shouyou rested his head on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” Takasugi hummed.

“You don't mind if I never...?”

“Do we have to focus on the worst scenario? Besides... You don't have to tell me anything. I know.”

Shouyou trembled in his arms, but then he relaxed more than he ever did.

Takasugi wasn't aware of it for long. Only the recent events told him what was going on. That Utsuro texted him to come over. By doing that he had just admitted his defeat. Utsuro wanted to monopolise Shouyou's heart. Sharing it with Oboro wasn't too bad, he could easily shove him aside. But he couldn't do the same with Takasugi.

They could only compromise.

“We have some more time in private, so...” Takasugi murmured.

“Do you think they let us?”

“If they are eavesdropping right now, I’ll kill them and we won’t have anymore any problems.”

“They are enjoyable problems.”

“Yeah, they are,” Takasugi chuckled. He did like being here. With everyone. Cause maybe some were a pain in the ass, but they had to handle something even worse - him.

"I don't think they're eavesdropping," Shouyou murmured.

Takasugi raised his eyes. Shouyou was already looking at him. His heart skipped a beat.

“Can I kiss you?” Takasugi asked. He didn't put any thought in it. He was charmed beyond any reasoning.

“You can.”

Takasugi moved his hand. It tangled between Shouyou’s hair. He gently moved him towards himself. He kissed him. His lips lingered on his. Like every touch was their last. He wanted his whole existence to soak at this moment.

Shouyou's hand moved along his back. At first, a bit unsure. What could he do that after what happened? What could he do now? So far their moves didn't feel wrong. In this moment of closeness, it seemed as if they came back to the times when they had fewer doubts. When everything was easier. That dared both of them to take action. Shouyou's hand moved under Takasugi's shirt. Did they get this much of courage? Takasugi smiled involuntarily. Shouyou felt that as their lips were pressed together in never-ending kisses.

"You started insinuating something about being alone," he spoke moving a half a step back. His hands stayed on Takasugi, but it could change.

"Your interpretation isn't bad either," Takasugi teased.

Everything was alright now. They could let their hands wander, they could lose their clothes as they went to the bedroom. As they did clumsily, focused too much on the kisses to take care where their legs were trying to get. They never fell, there was always the other to catch the one that was losing balance.

Takasugi loved undressing Shouyou. He loved touching his warm skin. He loved kissing him. He loved pinning him down to bed feeling the soft bedding under them. He loved being turn back and pressed down by Shouyou strong body. He loved worshipping his firm muscles and any other part of him.

He loved him. He loved him. He loved him.

They moved around once again.

"Can you do it?" Shouyou asked.

"Sure. Where...?" He wanted to ask about lube, but it was right by the bed. He reached for it and maybe following too much the routine moved to stretch himself. Shouyou took his hand and guided it between his legs. Takasugi didn't expect, but he didn't need to be told twice. He slipped one finger in Shouyou. He was tight and tensed. They didn't need to rush anywhere. Takasugi wanted to give him all the attention in this world. Shut himself forever in this room committed only to bringing him pleasure.

When Takasugi got him relaxed, he squeezed his free hand harder on his tight. When was the last time he felt nervous during sex? He was always so forward and shameless. Well, before, he wasn't in love. And now... Takasugi cupped Shouyou's face to kiss him once again, cause nothing could sate his lips. Now he was deeply, madly in love.

And all he could think was just praying over and over: _Let me drown in it deeper. So there would not be any doubts, nor hesitation, nor even a half of step moved back. Just let me stay here. With him in my arms, with his name on my lips, with him forever written in my heart and soul._

Takasugi moved him. Slowly. He stopped when he worked his whole length in.

“Alright?” he asked trying to calm his breath.

Shouyou nodded. Takasugi kissed him.

“You're so good to me. Too good,” he murmured along with those kisses. Cause right now under himself he had the most perfect human being. His history, his flaws, his doubts weren't changing it.

Takasugi thrust in. Shouyou held onto him tightly the whole time.

It didn't take long. But it was something they had never experience. For a moment two bare souls meet.

Afterwards, they rested in each other's arms. That was good. Unexpected but so good.

“I love you,” Takasugi dared to repeat. He tried to refrain from it, keeping in mind what Utsuro told him. Still, some part of him felt that it should be said out long. At least once more.

Shouyou cupped his face and kissed him deeply. "I love you too," he murmured almost soundlessly, their lips still brushing against each other.

Takasugi smiled. He melted completely because of these words. He started laughing: "So now we can drop off the dead weight?"

"Shinsuke!"

"Just joking."

Shouyou relaxed. He smiled too. He even teased Takasugi back: "You still haven't won me completely over."

"I know. I wouldn't have gone hung out with losers otherwise."

Shouyou burst into laughing. "Don't talk like that..."

"I wanted to get close to the people you love," Takasugi's tone changed. It got serious. "If nothing else, then to feel your love through them..." He went crazy longing for Shouyou. Maybe he would even prefer not to show this weird, vulnerable part of himself. It would be easier to hide it somewhere if it was possible, but it wasn't. So the only way was to bare himself completely before Shouyou.

"You still have doubts, right?" Takasugi asked after a few moments of silence.

"Too much of them... What if _it_ will pass?"

"Your brother is pretty similar to you, so if I squeeze my eyes... yeah, I should be good," he joked.

"Shinsuke..."

"There is not much that could be done. We will have to accept if something like that happens."

"What if..."

Takasugi put a finger on his lips. "You broke up with me once. What could be worse?"

"We're both creative, we could figure something out."

"Or maybe we'll figure out something in a good sense?" That argument didn't speak to Shouyou. Takasugi had to face what he wanted to address: "You wonder what if you feel worse again?" Shouyou nodded. "If you would like me away, I could give you space cause I know there will be someone there for you. If it became too much for me handle, I knew there will be someone to help us through... I get why you feel more secure having them around, cause I do too. I have no idea what will come. You tell me to get prepare for the worse and I don't know what would be worse... What's with all these questions? You're anxious or is it some test what I will do in case of an emergency?"

"Both."

Takasugi softened. He moved closer and kissed his forehead.

"I love you. That should be enough to treat most of the problems."

"I..." SHouyou tried to spoke, but this one thing was harder and couldn't get out his throat.

Takasugi put a finger on his lips. "Don't spoil me too much in one day."

Shouyou relaxed and smile a bit. "I was afraid of it..." he whispered it. "Being intimate with someone... I was panicking what if I do something wrong... Will you forgive me? All that mess I've created."

"Mn... You're found not guilty."

"Is it right?"

"Do you want to make it up somehow?"

"Yes."

"A date," Takasugi's voice was steady. That was how it all fell apart. He asked for it and everything started breaking. "Is it too much?" He couldn't stop himself from checking. He didn't want to corner Shouyou.

"It isn't too much. I..."

"Hey, I should be stressing out. It will be my first time. And look, if anything goes sideways, I won't be able to tell. Use it as an advantage."

"I will."

* * *

Everything went alright. Dates aren't hard. It's only talking and killing time. If two is good at it, then everything is ought to go right. Takasugi walked Shouyou home. They didn't only expect that there would be anyone waiting for them.

"What you're doing here? Some emergency meeting?" Takasugi joked seeing both Utsuro and Oboro.

Utsuro glanced over them. “So? All good?”

“It seems like it,” Takasugi spoke.

“Great,” he murmured gloomily and walked away.

Everyone followed him with their gaze, but no one dared to move. Takasugi was first to shook of uneasy feeling and try to do anything. "I'll go."

No one stopped him.

Utsuro was in the bedroom. He stood leaning out the window and smoked.

"I thought Shouyou doesn't like you smoking here?" Takasugi spoke.

"He can kiss my ass."

So he was pissed. Why? Takasugi didn't want to guess it too soon. He walked closer to him. Utsuro lent him a cig, so it couldn't be too bad?

“You've lost.”

Utsuro rolled his eyes. “Happens. Next time, won't let you go so easily.”

“Next time?”

"What? You're going to claim your prize and run away?"

 _That's what bothers you the most?_ Takasugi wondered. It was different from being jealous. It was worse. It was hopelessness and fear of the unknown.

"I'm not going to take him anywhere. I would if he want me to. Otherwise, I won't do anything."

"You've become so obedient?" Utsuro chuckled.

"I don't want to screw up."

"Hm, so you're a coward."

"Aren't we both?" Takasugi bluffed. "He's our everything, what are we without him?"

"What are we?" Utsuro asked. His toned seemed a bit mocking as always, yet Takasugi heard something more in it. Genuine want to know the answer.

"Well, I'm a stubborn brat and you're a bitter coffee shop owner. Also, you're kind of hot."

"Kind of?"

"Enough to hit on you."

Utsuro chuckled. "So... You aren't going anywhere?"

"Nope. I got stuck here. With you, unfortunately."

“You won't mind if I lay my hands on him from time to time?”

“If I can take a bite of other things too?”

“Someone had to drop you on your head when you were a kid.”

“Shouldn't you be grateful, it's like that. Otherwise, I wouldn't match here that good.”

They heard footsteps. Both Shouyou's and Oboro's. Didn't they believe Takasugi enough to let him take care of it? Or were they too worried to stay aside?

Utsuro put out his cigarette and turned to Shouyou. “Take him away from me or he won't stick here for long,” he groaned.

“Hm, I know how to make him speak less,” Shouyou chuckled and kissed Takasugi.

"I'm not that bad," he protested as soon as his lips were freed.

"You're the worst," Utsuro spoke.

“Oh, shut up, I know you like me.” Takasugi pulled him close.

Utsuro needed only one look into his eyes to notice, not like it was anything he was hiding with. “You have some awful idea, huh?”

Takasugi smirked. “Since we're all in one place...?”

Oboro looked at them not understanding what Takasugi meant, but then in the instant, his face turned red.

* * *

Takasugi watched as Oboro was working. He started keeping his sleeves rolled up when he got used to his tattoos. Takasugi was proud of his work. He covert Oboro's forearms with a delicate motive of branches with sakura's flowers. He was aiming to create something showing what kind of man was their owner, what kind of man used to be hidden underneath the scars. They gave Oboro more confidence. He noticed that people were usually reacting positively to them, to him. He started smiling more. With time he got even more talkative. He started to become more and more that one man who made him coffee that one time before opening.

Takasugi came back to his sketches. He was filling out the last pages. He started this sketchbook when he met Shouyou. Maybe it was a good time now for it to end. It was closing some chapter in his life. Maybe even in the life of all four of them.

He started drawing even more in the last few weeks when their life calmed down. As if he wanted to make up for all the pages he tore out when everything was more disturbed around them. He didn't throw anything away though. When he was growing sentimental towards something, he couldn't throw it away. And if having it in the open hurt too much, he was pushing it to that one box. He pushed so many things there over the years that it was no wonder why he was fearing to unpack it.

Lately, he unpacked it. Not alone. He stopped seeing sense in living alone, so he moved to Oboro and he helped him deal with it. There was nothing scary inside. Most of the things were no longer useful. Takasugi kept only a few as a memento of some past days. Maybe he wasn't able to find some feelings in his heart that one time, but then he returned all the love this world had given him. Maybe all four of them needed to walk through life and accumulate love, so they could give even more of it to each other.

It's easy to romanticise things that had happened, harder is to look with similar optimism into the future, but at least for now, Takasugi felt secure. He indulged himself in current events. His sketchbook filled not only with flowers, which were a terrible excuse. There were rather scenes of them working, talking, smiling, laughing, sleeping. As Oboro cooked cause soon everyone else got banned by him from even entering the kitchen, they were bringing too much disaster. There were so many moments which Takasugi wanted to immortalise somewhere. Moments that were touching deep into his heart.

Their life was still complicated, hard to explain, often messy, but that was the charm of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all so much. This fic was only a wild idea that came in the middle of the night while talking with my roommate, it blows my mind how well-received it was so far even during posting. I love you all. The only thing I can ask for more it's your feedback here in the comments or at Twitter (@AkikoKitsune) - that's helping me become a better, more motivated writer and deliver you even better stories.


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